Section One: Giants Section Two: Dwarfs Section Three: Methusalehs Section Four: Monuments Section Five: Aliens
Critically acclaimed and now famous author. Over 100,000 copies sold of MEETINGS WITH REMARKABLE TREES. Awe-inspiring collection of nature's largest and oldest trees - this book will surpass the original volume in its scope, originality, charm and grandeur.
Thomas Pakenham is the author of the critically acclaimed THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA which won the W.H. Smith Award and the Alan Paton Award. He is also the author of THE BOER WAR, THE MOUNTAINS OF RASSELAS and THE YEAR OF LIBERTY. He lives in County Westmeath, Ireland and is chairman of the Irish Tree Society. He plants trees both for profit and ornament.
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.
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
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