Harper Collins

This is the spider equivalent of the above and is unusual in that I have not yet heard anyone say anything against it. More competent and cheaper than anything comparable on the market at the moment this is

The Book on Spiders for anyone with an interest in its remit, who doesn't have £160.00 to spend on the complete spiders of Britain and Ireland by the same author. Within its 380 pages it contains 288 excellent colour illustrations, and over 1 500 b/w drawings which include epigyne and palpal illustrations of 450 of the larger species as well as pictorial keys to family and and genus. Alongside these is a comprehensive text description of each species including information on habitat and distribution. Before all of this is a 75 page introduction to the biology of spiders including sections on observing, catching, identifying and preserving specimens. All in all an essential book for all people interested in spiders as well as for libraries schools and universities.
Highly Recommended