Thomas Urquhart has spent half his life in England and half in the US. His career has also been split between arts management and wildlife conservation. He was director of the Maine Audubon Society when he wrote his first book, a collection of essays on nature and culture. For the Beauty of the Earth was named a Best Book of 2004 by the L.A. Times. His most recent book Up For Grabs is a history of Maine’s public lands. Thomas has written on environment and culture for European and American journals and has been a scholar at the American Academy in Rome and Hawthornden Castle. He lives in Maine.