The first edition of this book examined the forces creating and remaking the human landscape of western Europe during the post-war era of almost continuous economic growth. The second edition is set within a more pessimistic environment of stagnation and decline; and describes such processes as counterurbanization, return migration, deindustrialization, the urban-rural manufacturing shift and other important developments that represent a reversal of many of the significant changes of the 1960s.

The Geography of Rural Change provides a thorough examination of the processes and outcomes of rural change as a result of a period of major restructuring in developed market economies. After outlining the main dimensions of rural change, the book progresses from a discussion of theoretical insights into rural restructuring to a consideration of both the extensive use of rural land and the changing nature of rural economy and society. The text places an emphasis on relevant principles, concepts and theories of rural change, and these are supported by extensive case study evidence drawn from different parts of the developed world.The Geography of Rural Change is written for undergraduates taking courses in human geography, agricultural geography, rural geography, rural sociology, planning and agricultural economics.

The first book on agricultural geography to adopt a primarily behavioral perspective, Agricultural Geography demonstrates that a realistic understanding of agricultural land-use patterns can be obtained only by examining farmers' reactions to, and perceptions of, changing economic circumstances. Focusing on developed market economies and includes important farm-based research, conducted primarily in the United States, Great Britain, and Europe, Ilbery also provides insight into the modernization of agriculture and charts the changes in agricultural geography over time.

Describes recent developments in and the changing patterns of British farming in the post-war period, and discusses the changing nature of government policies for agriculture. Suggested level: secondary.