Author and historian Mike Rouse’s new book looks at just why the famous fens are so flat.

Mr Rouse, of Lynton Close, in Ely, decided to tackle the question after realising it had never been broached in a way younger readers could understand.

So, with the blessing of the Ely Society, which agreed to publish the book, Mr Rouse has put together a 36-page guide to the history of the fens, their geography and their role in protecting tens of thousands of homes from flooding.

He said: “In the book, I pose myself a series of questions and I write with younger readers in mind. I thought that there would be no harm in mind explaining things which can be quite complicated in a simple way.

“But I hope also that people who understand the area, will understand it a bit better after reading the book.”

The book is available from Burrows Bookshop, in High Street Passage, Ely, or from Ely Museum, in Market Street.