Book description
'Trees are wildlife just as deer or primroses are wildlife. Each
species has its own agenda and its own interactions with human
activities …'
Written by one of Britain's best-known naturalists, Woodlands offers a
fascinating new insight into the trees of the British landscape that
have filled us with awe and inspiration throughout the centuries.
Looking at such diverse evidence as the woods used in buildings and
ships, and how woodland has been portrayed in pictures and photographs,
Rackham traces British woodland through the ages, from the evolution of
wildwood, through man's effect on the landscape, modern forestry and its
legacy, and recent conservation efforts and their effects.
In his lively and thoroughly engaging style, Rackham explores woodlands
and their history, through names, surveys, mapping and legal documents,
archaeology, photographs and works of art, thus offering an utterly
compelling insight into British woodlands and how they have come to
shape a national obsession. 'Rackham has been a great champion for
real woods and against the endless postwar conifer plantations - a
campaign now largely won. Here he is writing not as a conservationist,
but simply to share his prodigious knowledge of woods and trees with the reader.'
The Times
'… A magnificent compendium of evocations, celebrations and warnings -
the harvest of a long lifetime, gathered slowly but with unflagging passion.'
Guardian
'The Woodland Trust welcomes Oliver Rackham's latest book celebrating
the glories of our irreplaceable ancient woodland heritage. Restoration
of ancient woods and creation of new woods is vital to creating a
countryside which is more sympathetic to woodland wildlife, and which
delivers benefits to society.'
Woodland Trust
'Magnificent, masterful … For those of us who worship trees, Rackham is
our (slightly grumpy) High Druid. A true classic.'
The Week Oliver Rackham is a name synonymous with woodlands. He has
written various books on trees and woodland, most recently a second
edition of Ancient Woodland: Its History, Vegetation, and Uses in
England. Dr Rackham (OBE) is currently Praelector Rhetoricus at Corpus
Christi College, Cambridge.
