Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees

Description

A powerful and yet intimate celebration of trees and all they mean to us Wildwood is a remarkable celebration of the transforming magic of trees, exploring the 'fifth element' of wood as it exists in nature, in our souls, in our culture and our lives. From the walnut tree at his Suffolk home, Roger Deakin embarks upon a quest that takes him through Britain, across Europe, to Central Asia and Australia, in search of what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with wood and with trees. Meeting woodlanders of all kinds, he lives in shacks and cabins, travels in search of the wild apple groves of Kazakhstan, goes coppicing in Suffolk, swims beneath the walnut trees of the Haut-Languedoc, and hunts bushplums with Aboriginal women in the outback.

Roger Deakin, who died in August 2006 shortly after completing the manuscript of Wildwood, was a writer and film maker with a particular interest in nature and the environment. He lived for many years in Suffolk, where he swam regularly in his moat, in the River Waveney and in the sea, in between travelling widely through the wildwood landscapes he writes about in this book. Waterlog, the predecessor to Wildwood, recounts his swimming adventures and has been hailed as a classic of nature writing.

Full of delight and joy and wisdom Sunday Telegraph With this book Roger Deakin can be counted one of the greatest of all nature writers. His beautiful book should serve to make us appreciate more keenly all that we have here on earth Mail on Sunday A breathtaking book Sunday Times A masterpiece which deserves to be read and reread Guardian One of my favourite kind of books. Few books make you change your habits; this one changed mine -- Will Self New Statesman