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Remarkable Baobab
Standing tall on the sunburnt plains of Africa and Australia, like great living giants, baobabs may be the oldest life forms on the planet, and many of the specimens still standing today have been around for at least 2000 years.
Hardcover
First published January 28, 2004
3 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Pakenham
33 books91 followersThomas Francis Dermot Pakenham, 8th Earl of Longford, is known simply as Thomas Pakenham. He is an Anglo-Irish historian and arborist who has written several prize-winning books on the diverse subjects of Victorian and post-Victorian British history and trees. He is the son of Frank Pakenham, 7th Earl of Longford, a Labour minister and human rights campaigner, and Elizabeth Longford. The well known English historian Antonia Fraser is his sister.
After graduating from Belvedere College and Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1955, Thomas Pakenham traveled to Ethiopia, a trip which is described in his first book The Mountains of Rasselas. On returning to Britain, he worked on the editorial staff of the Times Educational Supplement and later for ,i>The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer. He divides his time between London and County Westmeath, Ireland, where he is the chairman of the Irish Tree Society and honorary custodian of Tullynally Castle.
Thomas Pakenham does not use his title and did not use his courtesy title before succeeding his father. However, he has not disclaimed his British titles under the Peerage Act 1963, and the Irish peerages cannot be disclaimed as they are not covered by the Act. He is unable to sit in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer as his father had, due to the House of Lords Act 1999 (though his father was created a life peer in addition to his hereditary title in order to be able to retain his seat).
After graduating from Belvedere College and Magdalen College, Oxford, in 1955, Thomas Pakenham traveled to Ethiopia, a trip which is described in his first book The Mountains of Rasselas. On returning to Britain, he worked on the editorial staff of the Times Educational Supplement and later for ,i>The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer. He divides his time between London and County Westmeath, Ireland, where he is the chairman of the Irish Tree Society and honorary custodian of Tullynally Castle.
Thomas Pakenham does not use his title and did not use his courtesy title before succeeding his father. However, he has not disclaimed his British titles under the Peerage Act 1963, and the Irish peerages cannot be disclaimed as they are not covered by the Act. He is unable to sit in the House of Lords as a hereditary peer as his father had, due to the House of Lords Act 1999 (though his father was created a life peer in addition to his hereditary title in order to be able to retain his seat).
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 6, 2013
“I laid aside all thoughts of sports, as soon as I perceived a tree of prodigious thickness, which drew my whole attention.” – Michel Adanson
I’ve been quite obsessed with the baobab tree for a long time. I first came across its mention in The Little Prince as a youngster, and while on vacation in Africa I encountered one for the first time. It’s a truly wonderful tree.
This book was more of a coffee table book. The pictures were absolutely beautiful and looked quite unreal; they were of baobab trees from all over Africa.
There is some basic information about the tree, for example it’s godly status in some cultures, its diverse uses (shelter, food, clothing), and some history about European travellers who saw it.
It was a quick, informative read but I was slightly disappointed by the fact that the book did not contain some of the myths of the baobab tree, some of which I’ve heard relatives say over the years, nor did it go into enough detail about how important the tree is to the African people.
I’ve been quite obsessed with the baobab tree for a long time. I first came across its mention in The Little Prince as a youngster, and while on vacation in Africa I encountered one for the first time. It’s a truly wonderful tree.
This book was more of a coffee table book. The pictures were absolutely beautiful and looked quite unreal; they were of baobab trees from all over Africa.
There is some basic information about the tree, for example it’s godly status in some cultures, its diverse uses (shelter, food, clothing), and some history about European travellers who saw it.
It was a quick, informative read but I was slightly disappointed by the fact that the book did not contain some of the myths of the baobab tree, some of which I’ve heard relatives say over the years, nor did it go into enough detail about how important the tree is to the African people.
May 18, 2018
Having always been fascinated by baobab trees, I was amazed by the photographs that displayed the variety of these giants as well as their locations. I learnt interesting facts about the trees and believe his book must have inspired one of the pages from the children's book, Postcards from Australia.
December 12, 2017
a totally bodacious tree !
I've seen baobabs in Madagascar, the Comoros, and Tanzania. They're impressive trees that leave a lasting impression on a wondering foreigner. I am not surprised that Thomas Pakenham found them fascinating and seems to have travelled around to various parts of the world to photograph them. You can learn a fair bit about these amazing trees from the resulting book, but I think the lasting impression will be from the photographs, which are wonderful--both the full ones and the zoomed-in ones. It seems to me that there are other books, perhaps neither so light nor so easy to read, which would give far more botanical, historical or anthropological information. The present volume would rank more as a coffee table book or as an introduction to a very interesting and visually-fascinating subject. I believe that THE REMARKABLE BAOBAB was written in somewhat of a hurry since a number of pieces of information occur several times. No matter, if you have any sense of marvel or whimsy, you can't help but enjoy Pakenham's work.
I've seen baobabs in Madagascar, the Comoros, and Tanzania. They're impressive trees that leave a lasting impression on a wondering foreigner. I am not surprised that Thomas Pakenham found them fascinating and seems to have travelled around to various parts of the world to photograph them. You can learn a fair bit about these amazing trees from the resulting book, but I think the lasting impression will be from the photographs, which are wonderful--both the full ones and the zoomed-in ones. It seems to me that there are other books, perhaps neither so light nor so easy to read, which would give far more botanical, historical or anthropological information. The present volume would rank more as a coffee table book or as an introduction to a very interesting and visually-fascinating subject. I believe that THE REMARKABLE BAOBAB was written in somewhat of a hurry since a number of pieces of information occur several times. No matter, if you have any sense of marvel or whimsy, you can't help but enjoy Pakenham's work.
June 1, 2017
A wonderful read with illustrations. I've always been fascinated by baobab trees.
December 31, 2021
I like the subject more than I like the writing.
July 17, 2009
Isn't it delicious to win something??!! This is a book I won when I entered a Fair Lady crossword competition. Unfortunately I don't find it as good as Pakenham's other two books. Somehow his fascination with the baobab seems to be a personal one. I think other trees are much more interesting.
June 18, 2012
I have another book by Pakenham - 'Remarkable Trees of the UK', I think. I love his pictures of all the amazing trees he has seen. But these baobab trees truly are remarkable! What a strange and amazing tree! Pakenham has all kinds of interesting information along with the pictures of the trees - about the trees themselves and the areas in which they are found.
December 18, 2008
I won't be able to go to Africa or Madagascar now with out visiting these trees, I esp. want to see the Avenue at sunset, the four south African giants and Island of the Hippos.
December 13, 2008
A remarkable book about one of the coolest types of trees around. They are so useful (for food, drink, living, etc.), but also look so cool and have so much character.
November 2, 2009
I must be honest: the five stars are for the trees because without these stupendous trees there would be no book. A feast for the eyes and the imagination.
April 22, 2014
great photos.
September 5, 2015
Charming and informative. His infectious love for baobabs will undoubtedly nourish my existence, and I wonder if my love for chickens comes from a similar place in the heart.
August 5, 2016
Fabulous! I like trees and have always been in awe of this tree, so a great book for me with wonderful examples of some of the biggest and oldest trees on the planet!
Want to read
April 2, 2017Took from Dad's April '17
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews