WOODLANDS

by Oliver Rackham (Collins New Naturalist, £45 hardback, £25 softback) reviewed by Ray Harrington-Vail. 
Available from Tree News Book Shop at £40.50 hardback or £22.50 softback, with Free P + P, see below

Anyone who has a deep interest in the history of our woodlands and landscape will have read at least a couple of Dr Rackham's excellent books. Trees and Woodland in the British Landscape (Dent 1976) is long accepted as the best work on the subject, being both a comprehensive history of Britain's woodlands and a fieldwork guide that presents trees both individually and as part of the landscape. Rackham’s most famous work, however, is probably the History of the Countryside (Dent 1986) which gives the reader a real insight into just how our landscape came to be.

After a gap of many years we now have Woodlands – and appropriately for such an authority, this is the 100th title in the prestigious New Naturalist series. It's been quite a wait for Rackham fans but worth every minute. This new work focuses on new historical discoveries and theories. It puts woodlands within today's context. In previous books the then current issues of inappropriate management by bodies, such the Forestry Commission and the National Trust, and the threat of acid rain are mentioned, and now we have Climate Change and the ongoing march of over-development. The carbon neutral con-trick is highlighted by Dr Rackham, commenting that planting trees cannot stop Climate Change, as they can't live long enough. He also continues to point out the dangers of inappropriate tree planting and the need to manage and sustain our woodland heritage.

The ongoing grey squirrel menace also gets a mention.

This book, aimed at the non-specialist, investigates what woods are and how they function. Rackham takes us through how woods evolved and how they are managed in lively style. Basic botany such as understanding roots, longevity and tree-rings are covered. He outlines woodland history and the wildwood, covering pollen analysis, archives of woodland and how to study them, and he breaks woodland into its different types and discusses the rise and fall of modern forestry. The book is illustrated with colour photographs and is a must for any tree lover.

Ray Harrington-Vail has worked in the environmental field for 20 years in the commercial, voluntary and public sectors. He is currently general manager of the Isle of Wight’s Footprint Trust.