Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1186 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
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 )

One of my favourite kind of books. Few books make you change your habits; this one changed mine (New Statesman )

A masterpiece which deserves to be read and reread (Guardian )

A breathtaking book (Sunday Times )

Review
`A book that I have returned and referred to again and again since I first read it in the Summer'.

About the Author
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.

Customer Reviews

A Rare, Eccentric Gem
This is one of those delightful books that you stumble on from time to time that is almost impossible to categorise.

Roger Deakin was a campaigner, writer and environmentalist; he was one of the founding members of Friends of the Earth. He was a true English eccentric. He lived in a house, in Suffolk with a moat - in which he swam regularly. A few years ago he wrote a book that centred on his desire to visit - and to swim in - most of the important bits of water in the UK (and many less important ones as well).

In this book Deakin turns his attention to wood - all things to do wtih wood, wood clearly being one of the passions of his life.

So, Deakin explores woods. He camps out in woods to be at one with the environment and the wildlife. He camps in woods in England and explores woods around the world. But he also turns his mind to other things to do with wood.

There are fantastic articles on driftwood for example, There are pieces on artists who work in wood. There are contemplations on the economic value of wood and how it may yet have a major role to play in creating a sustainable world economy.

Deakin's writing style is fluid, easy to follow and very entertaining. He is both eccentric and funny; a genuinely warm man.

Sadly, Deakin died just after this book was completed. I wonder to what extent this was conceived and put together as a very unique work of love. Still, Wildwood stands as a fine legacy to a superb writer.

I wish I could describe this book more fully but I simply wouldn't be able to do it justice. But if this sounds remotely interesting go and buy it. You won't be disappointed.

A book to savour next to a roaring log (oops!) fire
Sorry about the pun above, but it's true. This is a large book that deserves a huge armchair, a wee dram and the aforementioned fire.

At last I have got round to reading this, and devoured it over a wet Easter weekend. If ever a book encouraged you to get out there and actually SEE the natural world around you, and APRECIATE it, then this is the one. Sure there are minor criticisms, mainly stylistic, but if you read this in conjunction with his good friend Robert McFarlane's book you will see that this book was (possibly) written under circumstances where the author was unwell, which perhaps leads to the sometimes "bitty" nature of the narrative. But even without eulogising too much over this one, the author's love of the countryside shines through and if the purpose of this book is to put that across and get the reader to think outside their four walls then this surely succeeds.

Joyful discoveries
I have read 'Wildwood' in delighted instalments, each night before drifting off to sleep, mundanely abed, unlike the 'Boys'Own' adventurer that Roger Deakin obviously was. Never happier, it seems, than camping out in the depths of an ancient wood listening to the rookery above.

This is no dull natural history book but a series of blissful nuggets of information strung together on a thread of gleaming prose. Poetry, delightful humour, child-like glee and a profound erudition illuminate this work and make it a pure joy to read. I cannot recommend it highly enough & have bought copies for all my friends!