Max Adams knows a tremendous amount about trees and has his own opinions about trees and woods and he shares these in this fascinating book. It is a marvellous collection of facts, history, science, folklore and the place of trees in our lives. I learnt so much from this book and enjoyed spending time in the woods with this enthusiastic writer who really makes you appreciate what wood has given us and consider it. A walk in the forest will never be the same again. Each chapter has a theme, trees in wartime, how trees multiply, charcoal, trees as a building material and others and he tells the tale of twelve different species of tree, from oak to hawthorn. At times it is also a personal story as he shares his wisdom about trees. A perfect gift for anyone who enjoys a walk in the forest, works with wood for a living or grows trees. ( )

It is only a tree.

Or is it?

These mere plants have given the human race so much over the millennia. The obvious things are shelter and warmth, but they have also fed us, healed us and with the skill of carpenters have also allowed us to travel. Not only that they are an essential part of our planet’s eco system, converting carbon dioxide to oxygen as acting lungs, are home to countless animals and insects, and are a marvel of organic engineering.

In this book Adams takes us on a historical and scientific wander through the woods. It is full of facts and anecdotes on all things woody, such as details on what wood burn best, how to make charcoal, how trees defy science by pumping water much higher than you’d expect, how coppicing adds so much more to a woodland. He writes about how our ancestors worked the trees with stone, bronze and iron, how trees have made amazing structures like the roof of Westminster Abbey and that it is now though that the process of converting light and carbon dioxide actually involves quantum biology.

Generally I enjoyed this. Adams has written a book that is a good introduction to trees in general. All throughout the book are beautiful line drawings taken from John Evelyn classic book Sylva of common English species of trees like the chestnut, oak and yew, which add a nice touch to the book. It is a touch whimsical at times, but still very readable nonetheless. ( )