The Story of Trees and how they changed the way we live

By Kevin Hobbs & David West, illustrated by Thibaud Hérem

We need trees. With climate change upon us, trees will play an enormous ecological role in the future health of the planet. We must plant them by the millions to form a living, breathing avenue into the future. While we do so, it is fascinating to understand the extent that humans have interacted with trees for millennia.

The authors of The Story of Trees have carefully selected a hundred different trees from across the world and enlisted them as sturdy, fellow companions on an intriguing journey through time and space. Each tree is accompanied by a beautiful drawing, correct, but interestingly, more whimsical than botanical.

Without fail every entry provides compelling facts that are rich in texture, as well as social and historical insight. For example: European Crusaders believed cinnamon pods came from fish; before Raleigh arrived with the potato, Sweet Chestnuts (a pre-Ice Age survivor) provided a source of carbohydrate in Europe; the Banyan tree hosts an insect that produces shellac still used in the production of varnish. There is so much more: the Persimmon tree bears fruit but its pale wood, as hard as ebony, is used for golf clubs; the Walnut is mentioned in the achingly beautiful Song of Solomon; while the branches of Silver Birch are traditionally made into besom brooms, perfect for sweeping the yard, or (for witches) providing a speedy exit...

You will not be bored.