Thomas Bewick, 1753-1828, artist, engraver, thinker, fisherman and walker, lived and worked all of his life within sight of the River Tyne. His images of animals and birds and his affectionate vignettes illustrating everyday life are familiar everywhere. This book outlines his eventful journey from the family farm at Cherryburn in Northumberland to the famous workshop in Newcastle, where he was to perfect the art of wood engraving, and revolutionize the illustration of natural history.