The Long, Long Life of Trees

by Fiona Stafford

A lyrical tribute to the diversity of trees, their physical beauty, their special characteristics and uses, and their ever-evolving meanings

Since the beginnings of history trees have served humankind in countless useful ways, but our relationship with trees has many dimensions beyond mere practicality. Trees are so entwined with human experience that diverse species have inspired their own stories, myths, songs, poems, paintings, and spiritual meanings. Some have achieved status as religious, cultural, or national symbols.

In this beautifully illustrated volume Fiona Stafford offers intimate, detailed explorations of seventeen common trees, from ash and apple to pine, oak, cypress, and willow. The author also pays homage to particular trees, such as the fabled Ankerwyke Yew, under which Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn, and the spectacular cherry trees of Washington, D.C. Stafford discusses practical uses of wood past and present, tree diseases and environmental threats, and trees’ potential contributions toward slowing global climate change. Brimming with unusual topics and intriguing facts, this book celebrates trees and their long, long lives as our inspiring and beloved natural companions.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, History, Natural History, Gardening, Biology

296 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2016

About the author

Professor Fiona Stafford is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She works on literature of the Romantic period, especially Austen, Burns, Clare, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge, and on their literary influences on modern poetry. Her research interests also include late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century culture; Irish and Scottish literature (post 1700); Archipelagic literature and art; Place and Nature Writing (old and new); Trees, Flowers and their cultural history; Environmental Humanities; literature and the visual arts.

Her most recent book is The Brief Life of Flowers (2018). Like her acclaimed book, The Long, Long Life of Trees (2016), it draws on first hand observation, literature, art, folklore, mythology, cultural history, natural science, botany, history of medicine.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The oak branch is my golden bough, offering immediate safe conduct from one world to another. It transports me to a particular day and tree, and then on to other oaks and their places, some of these known personally, others vicariously through things I have been told, or through poems and stories, photographs and paintings. Sometimes it will take me full circle, from heroes to local histories, tales of magic and metamorphosis, panegyrics and protests, fables of planting and felling, and on through forests of wood carvings, masts, musical instruments, and furniture, until I am back in the same room, surrounded by familiar things. They are never quite the same.”
Seventeen chapters, each on a different tree, you might say this was a root and branch analysis of some of the more well-known trees (sorry, I couldn’t resist: not one of mine, I borrowed it). There is a great variety of information here; lots of history, poetry and literature, a bit of life cycle, some myth and folklore, some description of what the wood is used for and some personal reflections. It is also pretty Eurocentric. There are some excellent illustrations, especially the woodcuts.
Many things stand out, one id the sheer age of some species. Yew trees can reach five thousand years, oaks well over a thousand. Olives too, there are thousand year old olive groves in Greece and one olive tree in Portugal is nearly three thousand years old. Yet apples rarely reach a hundred years and usually only thirty. Cypress for melancholy, Yew for death, Rowan for protection from spirits/magic, oak as a national emblem (for about fifteen countries).
There’s lots of information, arranged and illustrated well. The scope is mainly European. The links to poetry, literature and folklore are fascinating and provide a cultural history. There is a lot to be learnt. Yews were planted in Churchyards because they were poisonous and kept the local cattle from eating the grass on holy ground. The Rowan because of its protective powers was made into walking sticks for older people and small sailing boats. Rowan berries were made into necklaces for babies. Elm was used for making lavatory seats. Informative and enjoyable.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even as I look out of my office window I can see five trees in the immediate vicinity. Two are apple trees in my front garden and there are three small trees across the road on the public space. Along with our feather friends, they are still a part of the natural world that you can still see every day, even in a city; hence why we still feel a deep connection to them and the responses to them being removed in Sheffield from the streets. It is these connections that are deep within our subconscious that Stafford is celebrating. Through seventeen species of trees, including apple, poplar, ash, elm and of course oak, we will learn a little about the folklore, history and use of these trees through the ages.

There is a lot to like about this book, Stafford writes well and has filled it with lots of fascinating facts and snippets about her chosen trees. On top of that, there is lots of art and photos scattered throughout the book. Whilst it was an interesting read, for me though I felt that it lacked depth, but it is a good overview of a number of varieties of trees.

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

In her 2016 The Long, Long Life of Trees author Fiona Stafford (who is a radio host and University of Oxford English literature professor) explores the science, culture and symbolism of seventeen common species of trees. And I should probably point out that The Long, Long Life of Trees is quite Eurocentric and often even rather United Kingdom specific and that as such, the book title The Long, Long Life of Trees is actually and in my opinion somewhat misleading since I certainly was expecting (and also wanting) a considerably more global and universal arboreal scope/coverage (although yes, I certainly have enjoyed reading Fiona Stafford's presented information regarding yew, cherry, rowan, olive, cypress, oak, ash, poplar, holly, sycamore, birch, horse chestnut, elm, willow, hawthorn, pine and apple trees and have found The Long, Long Life of Trees generally speaking engaging, enlightening and a very readable combination of science and non science, and with the detailed bibliography Stafford provides for The Long, Long Life of Trees being very much personally appreciated and in particular since adequate secondary source acknowledgement is far far too often either not considered or is presented in user unfriendly manners in non-fiction, but that Fiona Stafford's alphabetical bibliography as well as her detailed index for The Long, Long Life of Trees most definitely makes doing supplemental research on trees not a frustrating chore but actually something quite joyful and relatively easy).

And with regard to what is thematics and contents wise presented in The Long, Long Life of Trees, yes, I have been both textually delighted and also though at times just a tiny bit (but still most annoyingly) frustrated regarding Stafford's printed words. For while The Long, Long Life of Trees most certainly does wonderfully and gloriously demonstrate that trees do much more than take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and release oxygen, that trees therefore do not only help the earth breathe and regulate climate but also provide fruit, nuts etc. as well as the raw materials for everything from fence posts to pharmaceuticals (not to mention paper and books), that trees have inspired and continue to inspire poets and myth-makers, and that The Long, Long Life of Trees is in fact and indeed absolutely full full full of fascinating information and details on the seventeen trees Fiona Stafford has chosen to feature (such as for example how birch trees have been used as symbols of both individual flexibility and collective strength and unity in European politics both in the past and more recently, that oak and yew trees have or at least can have very long life spans and were sacred to both the Celts and also to many of the Germanic tribes), sorry, but I personally do think that there are a few informational holes present in The Long, Long Life of Trees and that the very much distinct and specific European and British focus of this book does somewhat lessen and lower its educational and reading value (well, at least it does so for me).

For one, I really and truly do not understand why in The Long, Long Life of Trees, Fiona Stafford has not included beeches in her list of seventeen trees. Because considering how important beechnuts are as a food staple (for both man and best) and that the English word book is derived from the Old English bōc and which is in turn related to the beech tree (since the Germanic runes were originally created from beechwood) it is in my opinion rather ridiculous to not find a section specific to beeches in The Long, Long Life of Trees. And furthermore, it is also equally annoying and for me an academic oversight that the only so-called living fossil tree being described by Stafford in The Long, Long Life of Trees is the holly (for even though trees like ginkgoes, wollemi pines, dawn redwoods, and monkey puzzle trees are not endemically present in Europe, as trees that have not changed for millions of years and also survived the K-T boundary extinction event that glitched the dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago, for me, these trees definitely should be included and have their own section in The Long, Long Life of Trees).

And for two, and finally, I also do find it quite perplexing and hugely infuriating that Fiona Stafford does not provide a much stronger criticism and condemnation in The Long, Long Life of Trees of in particular clear cutting. For indeed, the absence in The Long, Long Life of Trees of strong words by the author against over logging and especially of logging so-called old growth forests is a huge textual turn-off for me and does render and leave me more than a bit angry (and to recommend The Long, Long Life of Trees only with the necessary caveat that Stafford's presented text, whilst readable, enjoyable and educational rather does for me miss the mark with regard to not really be considering that logging and especially that large scale logging is and can be a huge environmental issue and all encompassing threat).

And finally, I also do have to point out to Fiona Stafford that Germany's Black Forest (der Schwarzwald in German) is not called black/schwarz because of supposed suspicion, fear and negativity (because of the colour black supposedly equalling something sinister and uncanny lurking in the woods) but because most of the coniferous trees in the Black Forest are black spruce trees, so yes, for Stafford in The Long, Long Life of Trees to insinuate and to rather claim otherwise (the opposite), that is both linguistically wrong and also clearly a deliberate misinterpretation by Stafford and her wanting to see something anti-forest and fear of the forest in a forest moniker that actually only has something to do with the type of trees located and thriving there (and in my opinion clearly nothing else).

[Melora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A catalog of trees, each entry detailing folklore, myth, science, history, and social custom related to each tree. Seventeen trees are covered, beginning with Yew and ending with Apple (they were not arranged in any order I could discern), and generous black and white illustrations added much to my enjoyment. Stafford's style is appealing, and the stories of each tree are sprinkled with amusing anecdotes and selections from literature and poetry. One minor problem for me was that there is a certain repetitiveness involved in many of the explanations of why different trees have the cultural values that they do – either they are intimidatingly or, conversely, comfortingly long-lived, or they are inspiringly resilient, or they are reassuring symbols of seasonal rebirth, etc. Still, as intimately intertwined in human culture as trees are, and Stafford ably illustrates this, I suppose a lot of overlap in cultural significance among various species is to be expected. The other point I would note is that this is a very British book – the trees are British trees, the references are to British traditions, locations, writers, current events, etc. As an American reader, this focus made the book a bit less engaging than it would have been had more of the references been familiar, but, still, most of it was clear and accessible. As other reviewers have noted, there is a certain “encyclopedic” feel to this, but I enjoyed it, mainly for the folklore aspects. Three stars, but I expect I'd give four if I were a British reader.

[Spencer Orey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a bit of a tree encyclopedia, collecting a lot of literature and literary references around different species of English trees.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love looking at trees they can be so majestic at times. I'm quite lucky in that my place at work has some nice grounds with a wide range of trees available to see, some are hundreds of years old, we even have a couple of oaks where the trunks are nearly 2m in diameter. I'm always checking them out looking for places to build a treehouse...once I figure out how to get work to authorise that as my new office. We have one tree, I've no idea what type it is but it's in the middle of a meadow on it's own, the meadow has always been there but for some reason the tree has huge metal bars sticking out of it, at some point in the past, this metal was bolted to the tree and the tree just grew around it. the tree's ability to heal is impressive.

This amazing book has really opened my eyes, i never realised just how much trees are ingrained in our life, from religion to place names and even flags they are always there in some form or other. The number of places and roads with names originating from trees in the UK alone is impressive.

In this book Fiona Stafford gives us a nice intro into each tree, you get the basic info, the shape of leaves, the flowers and the berries. You also get a bit of history on the more famous trees and those who loved them and either wrote about or painted them. You get given an idea of how long they live and the sort of events in history they have witnessed, this is something that always blows my mind. Then she explains some of the uses that the trees have been used for, making a type of tar to catch thrushes and other small birds and the number of trees you can get drunk from, makes me all the more prepared for the apocalypse.

The writing, on a topic many would get bored by, is almost poetic at times. Even though there are many pictures included I was always popping onto my phone to google a fact, and each time it wasn't wrong...a single apple tree with 250 different types of apple on it? True fact! I only have one issue with this book and that stops it from getting 5 stars, the book just suddenly ends, no epilogue, no final thoughts, just the last sentence about apple trees and that's it, just a long list of references.

Blog review with pictures is here > https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018...

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suffering from misleading blurb syndrome...

In her short introduction Stafford tells us of her life-long love for trees, and discusses the place they have held through the generations in myth and art. She points to the ambivalence of our attitude towards trees: our love, occasionally even worship, of them contrasting with our continuing destruction of forests. Some of the language she uses is lovely - evocative, lyrical even.

The book then takes the format of a short chapter per species of tree. While many of the trees discussed grow in various places around the world, Stafford sticks for the most part to trees that are native to Britain. Each chapter tells us some facts about the species – its lifespan, how it propagates, etc. There are snippets from poems and literature, showing how the tree has been seen symbolically over time – again, largely British literature. Stafford discusses how the trees have been used by humanity – what uses the wood of a particular species has been put to, whether the tree produces food or has been used for medicinal purposes and so on. She looks at the impact of our activities on the environment and discusses threats to the species' survival where relevant.

Some of the factlets are interesting; for example, that holly trees were around in the age of the dinosaurs, or that “In medieval Europe, the demand for longbows led to the destruction of European yew forests, in an early version of the arms trade – with all its ironies. Yew wood imported from French forests might well return home to launch deadly arrows at the very people who had felled it.” Stafford also mentions superstitions relating to particular trees, such as rowan trees being seen as giving protection from witches. And where species have great longevity, such as the yew, she tells of specific trees that have found their own place in history – or perhaps legend would be more accurate – like the yew tree at Fortingall in Perthshire, still surviving today, under which, it is said, the young Pontius Pilate played when visiting Britain with his father.

So there is plenty of interest in this book. However, apart from the introduction, it is written in a workmanlike style, almost like reading entries from a well written and researched encyclopaedia. The first line of the blurb claims it is “a lyrical tribute to the diversity of trees, their physical beauty, their special characteristics and uses, and their ever-evolving meanings.” I'd have to argue with the word “lyrical” - the lyricism that flares up briefly when Stafford talks of her own relationship to trees in the introduction disappears entirely once she begins to discuss the species separately. It's fact-filled and clearly well researched, but impersonal and with little or no emotional content. The blurb also claims it is “beautifully illustrated” and again I fear I must disagree. It has many pencil drawings, but rarely of the trees under discussion. So there can be an entire chapter, such as the holly, for example, where there is no picture of a holly tree at all, nor even a drawing of one.

Unfortunately it was the promise of lyricism and beautiful illustrations that drew me to the book, meaning that I found it disappointing. I feel it's a victim of misleading blurb syndrome – had it been described more accurately, my expectations would have been quite different going in – in truth, I probably wouldn't have been attracted enough to read it. And yet it does what it does very well indeed – it provides a lot of interesting facts about trees and man's relationship to them over the centuries. But for me nature writing is more about the beauty of the language and the author's personal, emotional relationship with her subject, and I didn't find that here. Hence my rather low and possibly unfair three star rating for a book that probably deserves more – the blurb in this case having led to a mismatch between book and reader.

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Yale University Press.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst it is a genre which I perhaps do not read much, I love nature writing, and Fiona Stafford’s The Long, Long Life of Trees felt to me like the perfect autumnal read. Here, the Oxford University lecturer presents ‘a lyrical tribute to the diversity of trees, their physical beauty, their special characteristics and uses, and their ever-evolving meanings’. I had never read a book which was purely about trees before I came to this one, aside from, I suppose, Sarah Maitland’s Gossip from the Forest.

The book’s introduction is far-reaching, and Stafford’s passion for the natural world certainly shines through. Each chapter focuses on one particular species of tree, from the yew and oak to the cherry and apple. The historically rich pasts of the trees, and how they have been treated by humans throughout the ages, was striking. I love her descriptions too; on describing the formation of the gardens at Cumbria’s Leven Hall in the 1690s, for instance, she writes that the topiary has ‘gradually grown into a looking-glass world of fantastic forms: giant top hats and helter-skelters, startled mushrooms and stacking rings, birds and beehives, pyramids and chess pieces, an evergreen tea party of cups, cones, dark doughnuts and irregular jellies’.

The breadth of Stafford’s research is breathtaking; she covers everything from the Renaissance to Sylvia Plath. All of the photographs and illustrations which accompany each chapter were a lovely touch, and made for quite a delightful read. The Long, Long Life of Trees is not a book which I absolutely adored and will find invaluable for the rest of my life, as I am sure others will, but I feel as though I have learnt a lot, and would definitely recommend it to green-fingered friends.

[Sophy H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this book. Probably because I bloody love trees!

Stafford has a real easygoing way of writing; each chapter exploring a different type of tree.

There is everything here, history, geography, folklore, medicine, politics and all relating to trees!

Oh I just couldn't get enough.

A firm favourite read and then some.

[Jennifer Rundlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving this book. Every chapter is filled with a treasure trove of wonderful little tidbits that you can explore further. A myriad of facts, along with historical connections to how these magnificent trees influence our lives. A perfect gift for those who love literary connections to the garden.

[Serena]

Fiona Stafford did a BBC essay on The Meaning of Trees of which there is only nine episodes you can currently listen to for free. But there's also all of Composers and Their Dogs & The Meaning of Beaches to currently listen to for free, five episodes each.

[Mary Alice · Rating 1 out of 5]

The library classification number, placing this book in mythology, is more informative than the title. This book is disappointingly more about myths than about trees. It is more about what people think of particular trees than about the trees themselves. Sometimes Stafford doesn’t even provide the scientific name of the tree, as in the chapters on “Ash” and “Sycamore.” Often the reader doesn’t get the true name of the tree until several pages into the chapter, as with the “Rowan” where it takes three pages before we find out that a Rowan is Sorbus aucuparia and can be called an ash, while a true ash is Fraxinus, according Stafford. We can only surmise that the tree to which she is referring in “Sycamore” is Acer pseudoplatanus, since she refers to the winged fruit typical of the maple, or Acer genus. Pseudoplatanus means false sycamore. The true sycamore is Platanus occidentalis; however we don’t learn this until page 161 (unless you happen to have some other tree book handy).
The discussion of aphids and their habits is garbled and then, on page 159, she says that the “native field maple . . . [was] part of the fauna of these islands for thousands of years.” (Emphasis mine) If an English professor doesn’t know any botany shouldn’t she at least know word etymology? A maple has never been an animal.
On page 232 Stafford writes “the natural calendar is entirely weather dependent” but this is not true. Day length, and the increase or decrease in daylight hours, also affect plants and how they grow. (Soil is another influence.) On the next page she refers to a variety of hawthorn which may have originated “from early grafting.” I would like to know how a variety could arise as the result of grafting.
Before discussing the apple Stafford should have read Michael Pollen’s book The Botany of Desire which has a much more factual history of the development of the apple. Also, perhaps some entomology would have been useful here. I’m not sure the word apple is an exact translation from the Old Testament. She might also have looked into how Steve Jobs selected Apple for his computer brand.
If I had seen this book first in a library instead of a bookstore, which is more randomly arranged, I would have skipped it entirely.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pity this book is published by a University Press. It is the direct opposite of too many books these days: it makes ordinary things interesting and imparts much wisdom without any apparent effort. John McPhee would have been proud of this book.

[Shonna Siegers · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I loved this book and all the info about specific trees and how they fit into human history and the human story. It was very euro/UK focused, which makes sense as the author is English. I wish that was advertised upfront. As I would have loved to hear about specific trees from other cultures that are iconic and what it has meant to those peoples. The Baobab trees of Africa, the Red Cedars the the native tribes of the PNW of N. America, specific rainforest trees in the Amazon etc... Yet, I know you can’t write about every tree. And the cultural history here was well written, interesting and very enjoyable!

[Todd Denning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant escape, Stafford makes it easy to step into her forest of trees which we see everyday and shade a new cultural light on them, rooted in understandable science. This is not, however, a scientific book, and those looking for such a read will inevitably be disappointed.
Instead, Stafford weaves a tale of folk-law, stories, art and literature into one clear cultural exploration.
With evocative memories from her own life and experience, Stafford’s book becomes and easy escape for those who seek it.

Highly recommend.

[Andrew (Drew) Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book exploring a variety of topics on a variety of trees. Each of the 17 chapters offers many insights (cultural, literary, historical, botanical, etc.) on a single genus of tree found normally in Britain. It’s not the only book out there like this but Stafford’s writing makes it worth it and she does manage to say something new about each tree.

[Juliet Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully produced book that focuses on a selection of tree species and looks at how we have used them and represented them in art through the years.

The trees are: yew, cherry, rowan, olive, cypress, oak, ash, poplar, holly, sycamore, birch, horse chestnut, elm, willow, hawthorn, pine, apple.

The long introduction to the volume gives an overview of the human relationship with trees, with this very timely and relevant paragraph catching my eye:

'It is often only when local trees are on the verge of disappearance that people begin to realise just how much them mean.....The sense of loss prompted by treee felling has been echoing through British culture for centuries. Plans for new building projects that are known to put green sites at risk provoke passionate protests. Whether the threat comes from new roads, High Speed rail, supermarkets or plant pathogens, the urge to defend the environment, to stand up for ancient rights and save the trees for future generations is widely felt.'

The chapters on individual species are full of interesting stories and ideas including:

a suggestion for a better way of extracting taxanes (an anti cancer drug) from yew trees;

the practice of uprooting ancient olive trees from their natural habitat to decorate gardens - cultural vandalism or legitimate source of income for struggling farmers?

the value of willow trees as defence against flooding incidents;

the different types of hedgerows needed for different types of farms.

It also explores the cultural impact of the mass loss of trees to disease, including describing a notable feature of Edinburgh's Botanic Gardens:

'Elms have now become incontrovertible figures of loss.... The Aeolian Pavilion (in Edinburgh Botanic Gardens) is a memorial to the species, but instead of relying on a small plaque.....this contains a more tangible monument, a large Celtic harp crafted from the old wych elm that finally yielded to Dutch Elm disease in 2003. The tree is gone and the garden emptier, as the wind plays over the Ossianic harp strings, creating a plaintive requiem.'

[Jacob Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable book about a topic I'm unfamiliar with. Personal preference but found some chapters more interesting than others. Has the potential to make readers tree enthuaists and test their knowledge on outdoor walks

[Saskia Wraith]

God I wish I could identify every tree and know its history and its stories and all it has witnessed and make a wreath from its leaves and a magic wand from its wood and perform a spell to go back to the start of its life as a sapling and give it a little pat on its head

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovingly rendered brief history of various trees - The Long, Long Life of Trees is an educational love letter to the trees of England. While not from England, I still felt myself connected to various trees and was surprised to learn of their personal lores. A nature filled balm for a stressful time.

[Nina Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book from a Korean university library that caters to science and technology students, and most of the reading materials are in Korean. The selection of books in English is quite limited but I did find this book and was interested in the topic. The book jacket touts the book as being focused on the significance of the (17) species of focus with regards to how they have inspired stories, songs, poetry, paintings, religious, patriotism, and more.

Reading the introduction, which I ended up skimming through, made me really worried about this book. My initial thoughts were that this book was not accessible to the average reader. I thought this is the exact brand of written snobbery that people start reading and think they hate reading because of. The writing was overly floral and complicated making the topic seem inaccessible. Every line does too much, it is too dense, and makes the reader feel out of the loop. If you are not interested in fanciful, overwritten prose do yourself a favor and skip the introduction.

I am so glad I ditched the introduction and went on to read the chapters because the rest of the book was fabulous. Each section focused on a particular type of tree; oak, chestnut, apple, elm, willow, olive, poplar etc. The chapters were about 15 pages each, easy to read and digest. They are well organized and constructed essays which include historical background, folklore/ myth, art influence/ symbolism, uses people have found for the tree, and so much more. I learned so many interesting things from this book.

The essays are written with great focus and organization. I appreciated Stafford’s thoughtful and cheeky language throughout the essays. The ideas she developed through extensive research and knowledge were well considered and she is also quite funny, clever, and down to earth.

Another nice thing about the book was the inclusion of some of the mentioned art works, though in the paperback version I was reading, the black and white print made them difficult to really see. I would often go to google for color and clarity, breaking the flow of reading. However, I did love the additional illustrations throughout the book.

I give this book 4.5 stars because the introduction was so off-putting. It was otherwise incredibly well researched, interesting, informative, focused, considerate, thoughtful, and funny. I learned a lot of things I never needed to know about trees and some funny anecdotes to share. This book made me more interested in trees than I ever expected to be and I credit that to the author and the very good writing. Bad first impression, but I ended up loving this one.

[Michael Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why read this wonderful book? Odd question, because to say it's wonderful would be a recommendation. It's less important to read this book than to do what the author herself suggests the purpose can be for the reader: "If anyone reading this book is moved to put it down and go in search of a tree or a spade, it will have done its work." (19)

"I have always felt suffocated after too much time indoors"(4)

This is a problem readers face because the habit of reading in the park has disappeared. Most people today who are outside are either walking somewhere or jogging for health reasons. It's odd to see someone sitting and reading. It's also suspicious because reading is now a very private event, rarely do we read out loud to one another. Imagine an evening when we gather around a clear, well lighted place and read to one another exploring vocal inflections.

"All kinds of trees can reveal unexpected internal connections." (5)

Trees offer scents, drift, spring and summer celebrations, liberation for the mind. The Buddha found something very special under the leaves of the Bohdi tree. Greeks read the messages found in the rustle of oak and beech leaves. Sprigs of mistletoe hark back to pagan times. Jesus rode a donkey from the Mount of Olives along a road strewn with palms. Fig trees, mustard seeds, and vineyards recur again in various tales.

"From the banyan tree in India to the African baobab, the Tree of Life to Darwin's diagrams of universal existence...patterns, connections, survival and understanding are on display." (8)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I have a friend who is very interested in trees, thinking it might be a good thing to give him as a gift. It is a collection of short pieces, essays really, each covering the natural and social history of a specific tree. I didn't read every chapter, but only the ones that particularly interested me. The author is British, so many of the stories focus on trees found in Britain, but she does a good job describing trees from all over the world. It is well written and nicely illustrated, and even the paper is a very high quality. It was a pleasure to read and will be a pleasure to gift.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book as a 2019 Christmas gift. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it as I'm not a huge consumer of non fiction. I was having a difficult time over Christmas and found this to be a comforting read. I'm a nature lover so the subject matter was right up my street. The author, according to the blurb, is a professor of English at the University of Oxford. I wish I'd had her a my tutor when I was studying. Her style brought the subject to life for me. The mix of historical and environmental facts and fiction really worked for me. I also loved the illustrations including the cover and endpapers.

[Felicity Fields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on a whim from the local library. I love that it's written by a British author and for a British audience. It was a lovely change in perspective.

Each chapter is an essay on a specific type of tree. The essays cover history, medical uses, social relevance, and disease or building uses as needed. I enjoyed the holistic approach and learned several new things.

The one thing that didn't always vibe for me is that the author is a lit professor at Oxford, and some of that metaphoric language crept into the book. Overall, the literary references were chosen well, but the psychological meaning of the tree in literature sometimes went overboard.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fiona Stafford, like me, is a literature student with an amateur interest in trees. Unlike me, she's taken both interests further. She teaches literature at Oxford and has written this wonderful book about trees. The book is made up of 17 chapters, each devoted to a different species of tree, delving into their scientific, medical, literary, religious, mythical and conservation aspects. The writing is very good. At a time when trees all over the world face unprecedented threats from invasive fungal disease and pests, introduced accidentally through global trade, this book is a poignant read.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's so easy to take trees for granted; they are all around, always have been and (hopefully) always will be. Reading this book does make you look at them from a new perspective though. Shortish chapters on seventeen familiar trees (most of them commonly seen in British woodlands or hedgerows) cover their origins, uses, life cycles, and the ample history and folklore attached to each. The book has its roots in a series of fifteen-minute radio talks, and there's still a distinct flavour of a slightly arch radio script about the book.

[Mackay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully illustrated volume about various kinds of trees. There isn't really any overarching theme to the whole, because Stafford delves more deeply into the folklore of certain species or more deeply into their role in human development or her personal attachment... However, it is a sweet book to read, a chapter here, a chapter there, rather than all in one go. The writing is deft and, as stated, the illustrations are lovely.

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet and light read about the history of modern trees. It was very relaxing to read and the formula of the chapters was fun and light without being frivolous. The only thing I would say is that as an American reader, not every reference made entire sense to me, but I did still enjoy it quite a bit.

[Fran Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book written with a lyricism and genuine love for its subject. Baffled by previous descriptions of “workmanlike” prose - the language is beautiful and while there’s a slight formula to each chapter, that’s necessary to control what could otherwise be a sprawling and limitless piece of writing. This is accessible and interesting, and I’ve learned a huge amount from it.