Product Description

Following the extraordinary success of MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE TREES, Thomas Pakenham broadens his search for remarkable specimens around the world. From North and South America to Europe, from Asia and South Africa and Madagascar to Australia and New Zealand, he presents us with trees of personality and presence: Dwarfs, Giants, Monuments, and Aliens - the lovingly tended midgets of Japan; the massive 'General Sherman' of Sierra Nevada; the Mexican Tule Bald Cypress; the enormous strangler from India now romping about the University of Palermo in Sicily; and the 4,700 year old 'Old Methusalehs', the bristlecone pines discovered in the White Mountains of California. From ancient yews and ginkos to colossal redwoods and fairytale baobabs, this book is the fruit of Thomas Pakenham's search for the most remarkable trees of the world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #433441 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-15
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 11.42" h x .94" w x 9.45" l, 3.16 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Following Meetings with Remarkable Trees (Random, 1998), which features trees in Britain and Ireland, this book sets out to discover more such natural wonders elsewhere. In Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, he finds 60 commanding giants and dwarfs, Methuselahs, shrines, and "dream" trees of many kinds. Whether he is meeting baobabs, sequoias, or banyans, he finds magnificence, beauty, and, sometimes, sadness. He has a genius for communicating his sense of each tree as an individual being, engendering wonder, awe, and respect for it in readers. His thoughtful but brisk narratives bring his travels to life and readers feel that they are participants in an adventure as he experiences trees, their ecological and historical contexts, and the challenges of creating photographs of such difficult and special subjects. And Pakenham's color photographs are truly remarkable as he conveys the tactile aspect of bark, the sense of size or majesty, or the rare moment when the light is just right to capture the spirit of the tree. Chapters are further enhanced with historical illustrations (often, earlier views of the same trees) and snippets of poetry ranging from Alfred, Lord Tennyson to Ogden Nash. Pakenham ends with a chapter on "Trees in Peril." This beautiful and unique book is sure to be appreciated by nature lovers. And though it is a highly personal work and not a scientific text, it demonstrates keen and accurate observation; it could also serve as an excellent supplement to studies in science, history, and geography.
Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Pakenham took a break from writing such acclaimed historical works as The Scramble for Africa (1991) to indulge his fascination with the trees of Britain and Ireland, a passion that resulted in the best-selling Meeting with Remarkable Trees (1997). Buoyed by his success, Pakenham ventured further afield and sought out trees possessed of a "strong personality" in New Zealand, California, Madagascar, Botswana, Sri Lanka, Japan, Bavaria, Italy, and beyond, visiting and photographing one breathtaking living wonder after another. Charming and amusing in recounting his adventures, Pakenham nonetheless pays significant tribute to the extraordinary trees he portrays, relating their lore and protesting the many threats against their continued existence, as well as that of their less conspicuous brethren. By spotlighting trees notable for their godlike immensity (giant sequoias, redwoods, baobabs), tough compactness (dwarfs both natural and artificial), longevity (trees that are 4,600 years old), sacredness (trees as shrines), and trees of unusual configurations, locations, and histories, Pakenham inspires readers to cherish and protect the life-sustaining glory of all trees. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
Following on from his highly successful "Meetings with Remarkable Trees", Thomas Pakenham steps away from Britain and Ireland and traverses the globe in search of 60 more formidable trees - in size, history or myth - to photograph and investigate. From the giant redwoods of California to "upside down" baobabs in Africa, Pakenham emabarks on his voyage with gusto and a 30lb Linhof camera and tripod. Through torrential rain, snow, drought and blazing sun, his photographs capture the impressiveness and standing of these remarkable plants who support life, inspire lore and have been worshipped for centuries. Occasionally dispelling myth, at other times concurring, his writing supports the lavishness of his photographs, being amusing and witty at the same time as being informative. This is not a botanical work. It is an engaging study of trees and their relationship with man over the centuries by an author who has become fascinated with his subject and who wishes to share this enthusiasm with others. - Lucy Watson