Book excerpt: This book is one of a popular series that seeks to tell the story of some of Britain's most beautiful landscapes. Written with the general reader – the walker, the lover of the countryside – firmly in mind, these pages open the door to a fascinating story of bygone oceans, deltas, mineralisation and glacial landscapes. Millions of years ago, rocks that now form the lovely terrains of the Moors and Wolds were laid down on the floors of shallow seas, and were then deformed by plate tectonics before being shaped by streams and rivers. The sandstones were left to form the high Moors, whereas the chalk was carved into the rolling Wolds. Ice Age lakes came and went, and all the time wave action was fretting the coastline into glorious and varied profiles. With the help of numerous maps, diagrams and photographs, most of which are taken from his personal collection, geologist Tony Waltham tells the fascinating story of eastern Yorkshire, explaining just how the landscapes of sandstone uplands, chalk hills and clay vales came to look as they do. Including suggestions for walks and places to visit to appreciate the best of the inland and coastal landforms, this accessible and readable book opens up amazing new perspectives for all who are interested in the diverse landscapes of this beautiful area.