Book excerpt: This title has been out of print for some years, but has now been reprinted. It is now generally recognised as the definitive text on British spiders. Roberts' first edition of this work (3 vols, in 1987) superseded and updated the previous bible for British Arachnologists (Locket and Millidge, 1951, 1953 and 1974). This newer edition with additional Appendix, Addenda and Corrigenda in turn updates and revises the1987 edition. The first volume contains all the text, starting with a series of introductory notes on spider biology and some information on classification and nomenclature as it applies to spiders. Following this is a key to families and the species descriptions including 105 genera and 267 species of Linyphiidae. These two volumes are both a work of art and a work of science and so bring together the highest possible achievements of a human being. Their presence in the libraries of all academic as well as private Arachnid libraries is a must in order that their great value to the science of arachnology in Europe be allowed to bear fruit abundantly.