Not only does he reveal the facts of the fox's private life, he gathers together many of the stories and country beliefs concerning the fox, to make an amusing and informative book. He brings together the foxes of fiction, fable and folklore reintroducing the reader to Brer Fox, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, the foxes of Aesop's Fables, as well as the Belstone Fox and those chased by Mr. Jorrocks. He explains how to tell when a fox is getting married; how foxes forecast the weather and how they manage to get pheasants down from tall trees.

In addition he writes of his numerous encounters with wild foxes, many on the farm where he was born and still lives, as well as the succession of pet foxes that have romped with the farm dogs and raided the hen-houses.