If we were asked to imagine what the UK would look like way back in the Bronze age, people tend to think that there would be a canopy of trees stretching from coast to mountain with gaps where people had felled trees to grow crops. It wasn’t like that though, but there was a significant amount of forests and copses that provided food, shelter, fuel and livelihoods. The love of woodlands is deeply ingrained within our psyche and have contributed to countless legends, myths and fairy tales that have permeated our culture too. In 2010 the government at the time thought it would be a good idea to sell off the Forestry Commission; they didn’t quite expect the reaction that they got from the public who were vehemently against the sale of the woodlands and the plan was shelved.

In this quite delightful and whimsical book, Fiennes taps into that deep love that people have for their forests and local woodlands, mixing his own experiences as he visits ancient woodlands, including one quite dark and creepy moment in a woodland at dusk. He explores the reasons why that even though we have the lowest amount of forest cover of any European country, we have the greatest number of ancient trees, and how London is technically a forest. His ‘Short History of Britain’s Woods in 3508 Words’ is a quite spectacular piece of writing.

His passion for our forests and copses is evident when you read this, but this is a practical book too. He has a great list of 30 achievable things on an action plan list we can do immediately with regards to planting trees and improving our woodlands. They are all simple things and they would make a significant difference to the quality of our natural environment. Definitely a book to read for those who have any interest in woodlands. We cannot rest on our laurels as ancient forests are always under threat from all manner of sources and the more that people are aware of their local woods and use them the better their chances of survival. Would also recommend reading this in conjunction with the excellent A Tale of Trees: The Battle to Save Britain's Ancient Woodland by Derek Niemann. ( )

It's a poetic rambling through the forests of Britain, complete with history and literary references. As a non-scientific tree lover, it's good to find I'm not the only one who despairs of the disappearance of so much woodland, though I personally don't want to blame the sheep!

Good read curled up at home, or underneath an oak in your favorite park. ( )

Sadly, this worthy memoir hit my DNF pile. I had a naïve expectation of this natural history having anticipated that it would tell about the myths and reverent old forests of Great Britain in early times. And indeed there were references to those significant trees of yore. However, rambles in modern day England together with justifiable rants about forest management wasn't meaningful for readers unfamiliar with the locales. Many passages were highly detailed, but didn't provoke the visual images I was hoping to find. This chronicle is perhaps better suited to those living in the UK who care about forest management and are intimately familiar with the specific explorations that Fiennes describes. ( )

This is like taking a lovely ramble in the woods with an ecologically-minded John Oliver. It's sweet and funny, a little bit repetitive but also full of righteous anger. I learned a lot and even a walk in my neighborhood has me appreciating and beholding the trees in a different way. The folklore, song and poetry throughout is more than welcome. A beautiful book.

Thanks to Library Thing and their Early Readers Program. ( )

This book appealed to me for two different reasons that came together. First, I have been intending to read up on the history and geography of Great Britain. The spirit of Britain is so much a part of our American spirit, that a better knowledge seems essential to me. Second, I have a great love of nature, and especially trees, which stand out as the stalwart giants of living things. Here especially in California, with our redwoods and Giant sequoias, they are significant. (A wonderful book is Trees in Paradise: A California History.) In exploring the woods of Britain, the author covers history, geography, science, nature, literature, politics.... the whole gamut of Britishness. It is a colorful and absorbing look at our heritage across the sea. I now have this destination firmly on my list of must-see places. ( )