Oak

Botanical

by Peter Young

Botanical, a new series from Reaktion, is the first to integrate horticultural writing with a broader account of the cultural and social impact of plants. Oak , one of the first two books in the series, narrates the biography of the tree that since time immemorial has been a symbol of loyalty, strength, generosity, and renewal. Peter Young explores how the oak, native to the northern hemisphere and found in locations as diverse as the Americas and tropical Asia, has played an important role in state-building, art, folk tales, poems, and songs.

 

Starting with the pagan societies that venerated the oak, Young examines how the tree was used in other religions, revealing how it was believed to be a gateway between worlds in Celtic mythology and later became sacred to Thor in Norse mythology. He follows the oak as it was adopted by many Western European countries as a national symbol, including England, France, and Germany. The United States Congress designated the oak as America’s national tree in 2004, and it is the state tree of Iowa, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Georgia. Individual oak trees have also gained historical importance, such as the Charter Oak in Hartford, Connecticut, which became a symbol of American independence. In addition to tracing the history of the tree itself, Young investigates oak as a wood used to make furniture, bridges, wine casks, homes, ships, weapons, and even the electric chair, and he describes how the tree has been used as a food source—its fruit, the acorn, was eaten in ancient Greece, ancient Iberia, and Korea, and it was a traditional food of Native Americans.

 

Packed with information and beautiful illustrations, Oak tells the fascinating tale of this stately, durable member of the natural world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Gardening, Nature

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2012

Reviews

[rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

this was one of the driest books i've ever read, and i was only able to finish it because of how short it is. every page is full of references and quotes but the author doesn't do anything with his evidence--it's simply presented with no further insights.

while i appreciate that it tries to show the ecological and cultural importance of oak trees throughout history, it just reads like a collection of notes rather than posing any questions or providing meaningful takeaways

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting book. From the natural history to conservation via the arts, folklore and human usage through history, this well written book is a must read for any tree obsessive like myself.

[Audrey Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of a multitude of facts about oaks (genus Quercus) -- botanical, historical, cultural, etc. It's interesting, but only up to a point, because there is really no thesis or argument by the author. Facts are listed without any apparent connection to one another. My expectation that there should have been something more led to disappointment in the book. On the plus side, it is an attractive book, not too large and beautifully bound and illustrated.

[Chelsie Beaudoin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection of oak information. More about how people have viewed, used, and interacted with oak throughout history than about the oak itself.