Richard Adams.

Richard George Adams

Richard Adams — Activist

Born 10 May 1920 Newbury, United Kingdom

Died 24 Dec 2016 Oxford, United Kingdom

Citizenship United Kingdom

Would Be 106 yr If Living

10 min read

Reading time

1,983

Words

Apr 26, 2026

Published

2

Film credits

46

Books

5

Awards

TL;DR

Richard Adams published Watership Down in 1972 after 14 rejections, and the novel sold over 50 million copies worldwide. He served in the British Army during World War II and later worked as a civil servant before becoming a full-time writer. Adams died on 24 December 2016 at age 96.

Identity & family.

KIN · 4

Names, aliases, and relatives of Richard Adams — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Richard George Adams

PARENTS: Evelyn Adams
SPOUSES: Barbara Elizabeth Acland
CHILDREN: Juliet Vera Lucy Adams Rosamund Beatrice Elizabeth Adams

At a glance.

STATS

Richard Adams by the numbers — life, work, and family.

96 Years lived

2 Film credits

46 Books

5 Awards

1 Marriage

2 Children

Who was Richard Adams?

BIOGRAPHY

Richard Adams — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Richard Adams, born on 9 May 1920 in Newbury, Berkshire, to Dr. Evelyn Adams, entered boarding school at age nine and had a miserable experience. He won a scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford, but World War II interrupted his education. During the war, he served in the British Army from 1940 to 1945. After the war, he returned to Oxford and then joined the civil service, working for the Ministry of Housing and Local Development for twenty years.

Career

The story that would become Watership Down began on a car journey to see Twelfth Night at Stratford-upon-Avon, when Adams’s bored children asked for a tale. He spent over two years writing it down, but the manuscript was rejected 14 times before Rex Collings published it in 1972. The book became a classic, selling more than 50 million copies and inspiring an animated film in 1978. Adams retired from the civil service to write full-time, producing Shardik 1974 and The Plague Dogs 1977, a protest against animal experimentation. He also wrote The Girl in a Swing 1980 and a sequel Tales from Watership Down 1997.

Personal life

Adams married Barbara Elizabeth Acland on 26 September 1949. The couple had two daughters, Juliet Vera Lucy Adams and Rosamund Beatrice Elizabeth Adams. He dedicated Watership Down to them. Adams served as president of the RSPCA but resigned ahead of a vote that would have curtailed his powers. He lived as a tax exile on the Isle of Man for a time before returning to southern England.

Legacy

Watership Down revolutionized children’s literature with its biological realism and epic scope. It has sold over 50 million copies and remains in print. Adams received the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for the book. His work inspired readers and writers, and the story continues to be adapted. Adams died in Oxford on 24 December 2016 at age 96, remembered as an author who gave rabbits a voice.

Filmography.

FILMS · 2

Browse the complete filmography of Richard Adams — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

Movie

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

1983
Movie

Wisdom

2008

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 5

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Richard Adams — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Carnegie Medal
Guardian Children's Fiction Prize
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Silvert Award

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 46

Richard Adams's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Watership Down

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Shardik

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Tales from Watership Down

by Richard Adams
Amazon

The Girl in a Swing

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Stories

by Neil Gaiman et al.
Amazon

The Plague Dogs

by Richard Adams
Amazon

The Day Gone By

by Richard Adams
Amazon

The Tyger Voyage

by Richard Adams
Amazon

A Nature Diary

by Richard Adams
Amazon

The Outlandish Knight

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Voyage Through the Antarctic

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Nature Through the Seasons

by Richard Adams
Amazon

The Iron Wolf and Other Stories

by Richard Adams
Amazon

Nature Day and Night

by Richard Adams

Could not load more books.

Did you know?

FACTS · 5

Little-known facts about Richard Adams — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

During World War II, Adams served in the British Army from 1940 to 1945.
Over 50 million copies of Watership Down have been sold worldwide.
In December 2011, property developers planned to develop Sandleford Park near Newbury, paralleling the book’s development; Adams vowed to oppose it tooth and nail, calling the area beautiful.
Adams dedicated Watership Down to his daughters Juliet and Rosamond, for whom he invented rabbit stories on drives to Stratford-on-Avon.
A career civil servant until 1974, Adams worked in the British Ministry of Housing and Local Development for twenty years 1948-1968 and later as Assistant Secretary to the Department of the Environment, influences evident in his fantasy novels.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 61

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Richard Adams.

When was Richard Adams born?

Richard Adams arrived on 9 May 1920 in Newbury, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom.
Where was Richard Adams born?

Newbury, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom is the birthplace of Richard Adams. His father was a country doctor.
When did Richard Adams die?

Richard Adams died on 24 December 2016 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom at age 96.
How old was Richard Adams when he died?

Richard Adams was 96 years old at death on 24 December 2016. He died of heart failure in Oxford.
Where did Richard Adams die?

Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom is where Richard Adams died on Christmas Eve 2016.
How did Richard Adams die?

Heart failure caused the death of Richard Adams on 24 December 2016 in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom.
What was Richard Adams's real name?

Richard Adams’s full name is Richard George Adams, born on 9 May 1920 in Newbury, Berkshire.
What does Richard Adams do for a living?

Richard Adams worked as a writer. He wrote novels including Watership Down and Shardik.
What nationality is Richard Adams?

British nationality was Richard Adams’s. He was born and died in England, United Kingdom.
What language did Richard Adams speak?

English was the native language of Richard Adams. He wrote all his books in English.
Who were Richard Adams's parents?

Richard Adams’s mother is Evelyn Adams. His father was a country doctor in Newbury.
Who was Richard Adams married to?

Richard Adams married Barbara Elizabeth Acland on 26 September 1949.
Did Richard Adams have children?

Yes, Richard Adams had two daughters: Juliet Vera Lucy Adams and Rosamund Beatrice Elizabeth Adams, to whom he dedicated Watership Down.
Where did Richard Adams go to school?

Horris Hill School, Bradfield College, and Worcester College, Oxford form Richard Adams’s education. He won a scholarship to Oxford.
What awards did Richard Adams win?

Richard Adams won the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program, and he was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, among others.
How many awards did Richard Adams win?

Five major awards were won by Richard Adams: the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, Daytime Emmy Award, Fellowship of the Royal Society of Literature, and Silvert Award.
What is Richard Adams best known for?

Writing Watership Down in 1972 is what Richard Adams is best known for. The book sold over 50 million copies.
How tall was Richard Adams?

Richard Adams stood 5 feet 10 inches tall, or 1.78 meters.
How many children did Richard Adams have?

Richard Adams had two children: Juliet Vera Lucy Adams and Rosamund Beatrice Elizabeth Adams, with wife Barbara Elizabeth Acland.
What was Richard Adams's first book?

Richard Adams’s first book was Watership Down, published in 1972 after 14 rejections.
How many copies of Watership Down were sold?

Over 50 million copies of Watership Down have been sold worldwide.
Did Richard Adams serve in the military?

Yes, Richard Adams served in the British Army from 1940 to 1945 during World War II.
What was Richard Adams's job before writing?

Before writing, Richard Adams worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Housing and Local Development for twenty years.
Why did Richard Adams write Watership Down?

Richard Adams began telling the story of Watership Down to his daughters during a car journey to Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote it down over two years.
Was Richard Adams involved with the RSPCA?

Yes, Richard Adams served as president of the RSPCA, resigning ahead of a vote that would have curtailed his powers.
What was Richard Adams's opinion on rabbits?

Despite writing a famous rabbit book, Adams said he would shoot a rabbit in his garden and refused to condemn gassing rabbits on Watership Down in 1998.
What other books did Richard Adams write?

Richard Adams wrote Shardik 1974, The Plague Dogs 1977, The Girl in a Swing 1980, Maia, and Tales from Watership Down 1997, among others.
Did Richard Adams win a Carnegie Medal?

Yes, Richard Adams won the Carnegie Medal for Watership Down and also the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.
Was Richard Adams a tax exile?

Yes, after the success of Watership Down, Adams became a tax exile on the Isle of Man, later returning to southern England.
How many rejections did Watership Down receive?

Fourteen rejections were received by Watership Down before publisher Rex Collings accepted it. The initial print run was 2,500 copies.
What is the animated film Watership Down from?

The animated film Watership Down, based on Richard Adams’s novel, was released in 1978.
Did Richard Adams appear in any movies?

Richard Adams had a small role as POW #1 in the 1983 film Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
What was Richard Adams's height?

Richard Adams was 5 feet 10 inches 1.78 m tall.
Where did Richard Adams attend university?

Worcester College, Oxford is where Richard Adams attended university, winning a scholarship before the war interrupted his studies.
What was Richard Adams's birth name?

Richard George Adams was Richard Adams’s birth name, born on 9 May 1920 in Newbury.
Who published Richard Adams's first book?

Rex Collings published Watership Down in 1972 after 14 rejections.
What did Richard Adams think of his book Shardik?

Richard Adams considered Shardik 1974 his best work, though critics called it preachy and he agreed.
Did Richard Adams campaign for animal welfare?

Yes, Adams wrote The Plague Dogs as an attack on animal experimentation and served as president of the RSPCA.
Was Richard Adams a natural conservative?

Adams was described as a traditional Englishman with a love of the countryside who believed things were better in the past.
What is the legacy of Richard Adams?

Richard Adams’s legacy is Watership Down, which revolutionized children’s literature, sold over 50 million copies, and inspired adaptations.
How old was Richard Adams when he started writing?

Adams began writing Watership Down in his 40s after telling the story to his children. He was 52 when the book was published.
What was Richard Adams's educational background?

Horris Hill School, Bradfield College, and Worcester College, Oxford make up Richard Adams’s education. He studied at Oxford after WWII.
Did Richard Adams have any other occupations?

Yes, Adams was a civil servant, working on the clean air programme and later as Assistant Secretary to the Department of the Environment.
Why did Richard Adams move to the Isle of Man?

After the financial success of Watership Down, Adams moved as a tax exile to the Isle of Man, later returning to southern England.
What is the setting of Watership Down?

The setting of Watership Down is the Hampshire countryside near Adams’s childhood home. The real Watership Down is on the Hampshire border.
Was Watership Down originally for children?

In the US, Watership Down was placed on the adult publishing list. It is hailed as a children’s classic and an epic novel.
How long did it take Richard Adams to write Watership Down?

Over two years is how long Adams took to write down the story of Watership Down. He initially struggled to find a publisher.
Did Richard Adams receive any criticism for his work?

Yes, some critics made caustic remarks about Watership Down, such as suggesting myxomatosis. Shardik was also criticized as preachy.
What was Richard Adams's relationship with his daughters?

Adams invented rabbit stories for his daughters Juliet and Rosamond during car journeys and dedicated Watership Down to them.
How many books did Richard Adams write?

Over 20 books were written by Richard Adams, though none achieved the success of Watership Down.
What was the inspiration for Watership Down?

A car journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, when his daughters asked for a story, inspired Watership Down. He told them about rabbits escaping a threatened warren.
Did Richard Adams have any pets?

There is no record of pets in the source. However, he expressed a willingness to shoot rabbits in his garden.
What is Richard Adams's most successful book?

Watership Down is his most successful book, selling over 50 million copies and adapted into film and TV.
What was Richard Adams's view on animal experiments?

Adams was outspoken against animal experimentation, as shown in The Plague Dogs. He admitted his indignation might have overrun his better judgment.
Was Richard Adams married for a long time?

Adams married Barbara Elizabeth Acland in 1949, and they remained married until his death in 2016, a marriage of 67 years.
What did Richard Adams do after retiring?

After retiring from the civil service in 1974, Adams became a full-time freelance writer, writing many novels and continuing campaigns.
Is Watership Down a children's book?

Though considered a children’s classic, Watership Down features realistic biology and violence. In the US it was marketed to adults.
What honors did Richard Adams receive?

Adams was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and won the Carnegie Medal, Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, Daytime Emmy, and Silvert Award.
Did Richard Adams have any other film roles?

His only film role appears as a POW in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence 1983. He did not pursue acting.
Why did Richard Adams resign from the RSPCA?

Adams resigned just ahead of a vote that would have curtailed his presidential powers. His campaigning stance angered conservative members.
What is the meaning of the title Watership Down?

Watership Down is a real hill in Hampshire, near where Adams grew up. It inspired the setting for the rabbits’ new home.

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Michael is the last person to read a profile before it goes live, which makes him the one who catches what everyone else missed. 5 years as a copy editor has given him a sharp sense for what's off. A wrong year, a vague credit, a sentence that almost makes sense but doesn't quite. He's especially thorough with filmographies. He'll tell you that's where most of the errors hide. He's right.

Published on April 26, 2026

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