This book was never going to be written. Fungi had been my lifelong hobby rather than my profession, and I felt inhibited about writing about the kingdom when many others had been there before me. My editor, Arabella Pike, and my old friends (and agents) Heather and David Godwin persuaded me that my own take on my favourite living organisms might be worthwhile. I am so grateful to them for their confidence that this book could be successfully conceived and completed. As ever, I could not have written it without support and help from my wife, Jackie, who has joined me in countless forays over the years, handled the logistics of our field trips with exceptional aplomb, and scanned page proofs with acuity.
Many people have helped along the way. Marco Floriani was our generous host in Italy, and introduced us to new species. Professor Gareth Griffith put me in touch with Torben Fogh, who kindly led us to Strangler fungi in the Lake District and provided the photograph. My sister-in-law Caroline Lawrence generously hosted us in the Australian rainforest on several occasions, and showed us luminous brackets. Many of the Close Encounters were in the company of members of the Oxfordshire Fungus Survey, my long time foraying companions. Dr Aljos Farjon invited me on to the survey of Blenheim High Park. Dr Martyn Aynsworth and Alick Henrici from Kew Gardens have supplied me with identifications of tricky species over many years. Their expertise was invaluable. I thank Professor Lynne Boddy for wise advice on matters of mycorrhiza and wood rotting. Dr Sarah Watkinson helped me with the basics of the chemical armoury of the fungal kind. Without the incomparable expertise of Peter Chandler there would have been no chapter on fungus gnats. My former colleagues at the Natural History Museum identified the many beetles associated with fungi. I thank especially Roger Booth, Max Barclay and Michael Geiser. Mike Richardson shared his lifetime experience with dung fungi, and Derek Shafer identified the appropriate inkcaps. My old friend Stuart Skeates kindly read through the manuscript and spotted errors. I need hardly add that any errors that remain are entirely my responsibility.
Photographic figures came from many sources, and I could not include as many illustrations as I would have liked. All are thanked. Linda Seward provided several pictures from our local area in Oxfordshire. Geraldine Gates and Joseph Neilson supplied pictures of fungi from ‘down under’. Paul Kenrick kindly allowed me to use his sketch of Prototaxites, and Huen-ping Hsueh the oyster mushroom worm killers. Other photographs were generously supplied by Andrew Padmore, Penny Cullington, Rob Francis, Stuart Skeates, Aljos Farjon and Derek Schafer. All other photographs were taken by Jackie Fortey over several years among the fruit bodies.