This text is a history of the world's oldest global conservation body - the World Conservation Union, established in 1948 as a forum for governments, non-governmental organizations and individual conservationists. The author draws on unpublished archives to reveal the often turbulent story of the IUCN and its achievements in, and influence on, conservation and environmental policy worldwide - establishing national parks and protected areas and defending threatened species.

Assessing the basic principles, structure and effectiveness of the international legal system concerning the protection of the world's natural environment, this text has been updated to take account of developments in genetically modified organisms and biotechnology.