One of the most beloved novels of our time， Richard Adams s Watership Down takes us to a world we have never truly seen: to the remarkable life that teems in the fields， forests and riverbanks far beyond our cities and towns. It is a powerful saga of courage， leadership and survival; an epic tale of a hardy band of adventurers forced to flee the destruction of their fragile community...and their trials and triumphs in the face of extraordinary adversity as they pursue a glorious dream called "home." Watership Down is a remarkable tale of exile and survival， of heroism and leadership...the epic novel of a group of adventurers who desert their doomed city， and venture forth against all odds on a quest for a new home， a sturdier future，
理查德·亚当斯，1920年生于英格兰伯克夏郡。在写作成名前，亚当斯只是一名普通的公职人员，但他心中一直有一个关于兔子的幻想故事。1960年代英国社会萎靡的乱象让亚当斯感到气愤，同时为了描绘出存在他心中已久的理想世界，他决定走向写作之路。
《兔子共和国》1972年圣诞节在英国出版，1973年旋即获得卡内基大奖和《卫报》文学奖，1974年更被《纽约时报》选为七本最有意义的书之一。但是《兔子共和国》在初版时只卖出2500本，不过真金不怕火炼，此书日后成了全球经典文学作品，直到如今仍是成人读者心中公认的奇幻小说必读之作。