Billed on the dust jacket as an ‘unusual meander along the river’, this is actually a book about a court case fought to prevent a right of navigation being established on the Derwent – only the first four chapters can really claim to be of general interest, describing as they do the course of the river from source to sea. However, if you live in the area, or are interested in finding out how to defend a case in the High Court, this volume has much to recommend it, because, unbelievable though it may seem, the legal action described saw the meaning of a river defined for the first time in English law. It will be of interest to anyone facing a similar challenge.