Crow was Ted Hughes''s fourth book of poems for adults and a pivotal moment in his writing career. In it, he found both a structure and a persona that gave his vision a new power and coherence. A deep engagement with history, mythology and the natural world combine to forge a work of impressive and unsettling force.

''English poetry has found a new hero and nobody will be able to read or write verse now without the black shape of Crow falling across the page.'' Peter Porter