In the Circle of Ancient Trees: Our Oldest Trees and the Stories They Tell

by Valerie Trouet

Beautifully packaged to make the perfect gift, this captivating book about dendrochronology—the study of tree rings—uncovers the stories of 10 species of ancient trees, their unique environments and climates, and what they have to tell us about the history of our world.

Ingrained and encrypted in the growth rings of every tree are stories of its environment and the events to which it bore witness. In the Circle of Ancient Trees presents the stories of ten ancient tree varieties in engrossing chapters written by ecologists with specialist knowledge. From the Bosnian pine to the giant sequoia, from the United States, to Europe, to South America, these essays explore how human and environmental history share common roots, while drilling down into the ecology, persistence, and resilience of trees.

Beautifully designed, and illustrated with wood-engravings and graphics that visualize each tree’s chronology and geography, In the Circle of Ancient Trees considers what lessons for our future might be discovered in our planet’s past.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published October 14, 2025

About the author

Prof. dr. Valerie Trouet bestudeert al meer dan twintig jaar de klimaatverandering aan de hand van jaarringen van bomen. Wereldwijd wordt ze erkend als een van de topexperts op het vlak van dendrochronologie. Ze is verbonden aan het Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research van de University of Arizona (VS) en publiceerde eerder onder meer in Nature en Science.

Reviews

[Juliëtte van Overbeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Na een lezing van Valerie Trouet heb ik dit boek gekocht. Dit boek leest een beetje als short story’s waarin telkens een andere dendrochronoloog je meeneemt in zijn of haar persoonlijke reis, gekoppeld aan één boomsoort. Ze nemen je mee in de puzzel van de jaarringen en laten zien hoe bomen verhalen vertellen over klimaat, natuur en menselijke geschiedenis. Plus, dit boek bevat prachtige tekeningen!

[Dalyn Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Circle of Ancient Trees: Our Oldest Trees and the Stories They Tell by Valerie Trouet is a beautifully crafted exploration of dendrochronology, offering readers a unique lens into history, ecology, and resilience through the life of trees. Focusing on ten ancient tree species from around the world from Bosnian pines to giant sequoias Trouet and contributing ecologists reveal the environmental and historical events encoded in growth rings, providing a captivating intersection of science, history, and storytelling.

What makes In the Circle of Ancient Trees exceptional is its blend of rigorous ecological research and visually stunning presentation. With wood engravings, graphics, and thoughtful design, the book illuminates both the longevity and significance of these trees, while drawing lessons for how human history and environmental persistence are intertwined. It’s a perfect gift for nature lovers and an inspiring resource for readers curious about the planet’s past and future.

[Laney · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Our Oldest Trees and the Stories They Tell”

This book was a delight to read, offering a fascinating glimpse into a diverse range of ancient trees through the eyes of various dendrochronologists. You can feel their passion for the subject on every page. Learning about these specific trees from people who truly appreciate their majesty and significance felt like the perfect way to be introduced to them.

There were so many thoughtful elements throughout. I especially loved the visuals, particularly the trees presented as timelines, which really helped put everything into perspective. Reading about these remarkable trees, it is nearly impossible not to feel awed by their longevity and presence. A beautiful and deeply informative book.

Thank you to Greystone Books, Valerie Trouet, Blaze Cyan, and all the incredible contributors for the opportunity to read this book and provide my honest review!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book that blended science with a more human and spiritual dimension. I enjoyed reading the diverse perspectives of researchers from different backgrounds each studying the same concept but with a different focal species. While some of the overlap in stories felt repetitive at times, overall I greatly enjoyed this book. Those not coming from a scientific background may need to be willing to look up a few things that aren’t well-explained, but hopefully this is an enjoyable learning experience to dive deeper into a fascinating, cross-disciplinary topic.

[Daniel Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and informative exploration of dendrochronology and ancient trees around the world. Each of the ten chapters is written by a research scientist about their focal species, and with that comes a variety of writing quality and style. Overall I’d say it is pretty technical, and unfortunately not super friendly to the average reader. Still it is a worthwhile and fairly quick read, and was a perfect match for me while on a trip to the old growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago, I learned about dendrochronology and was fascinated by it, but really didn’t look into learning more about it. This book gave me a deep dive into some of the oldest living tree species in the world and what scientists are learning from their rings. The trees tell us about human history and ecological history.


Favorite quote:
“All these trees, …., bear witness of the changes around them and connect us with the past, the present, and the future.“

[Mackenzie Calhoun]

I judged this book by its cover (it’s gorgeous) and was not disappointed. I learned so much about dendochronology and I liked to learn about each of the tree species, only a few of which I was already familiar with. It helps that I am in Earth Science and this is a keen interest of mine. It came up a bunch in my life too-excited for my next read, 2025 slump was real!

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover and title are beautiful. I like the concept of dendrochronology. But I was hoping to have something more… that I would fall in love with and just pick up and wrap myself around a book about trees. It wasn’t quite like that unfortunately.

[Peter Corens · Rating 3 out of 5]

ben meer fan van het eerste boek van Trouet, maar dit is een lezenswaardige herhaling voor wie ook graag wat persoonlijke verhalen van de verschillende onderzoekers leest.
ik vond het zelf een beetje te self-centered, maar het biedt wel een nieuw perspectief.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book and the art is stunning but the language was a bit over my head. I DNF at the second chapter.