Review by Choice Review
Oak trees grow in a wide band around the Northern Hemisphere throughout the lower and middle latitudes. Hundreds of species exist worldwide, and Logan (an arborist and writer) makes an eloquent case that oaks were a major factor in the development of civilization, first as an important food source, and later by means of the products made from their wood. The idea that ancient Indo-European cultures probably evolved with the acorn as an essential pre-agricultural food was new to this reviewer. More familiar, but explained in fascinating detail, is the use of oak wood for many human endeavors: in very early roads across wetlands; for exploration and warfare on the high seas; in timber frame construction; and in cooperage. Oak bark was essential for leather tanning, as were galls for the production of dyes and high quality ink. The book ends with a chapter touching on the biology, ecology, and evolution of these trees; a bibliography, arranged by major topics, follows. The writing style, while very personal and story-based, is packed with both information and insight. For a second edition that would be an even more valuable ethnobotanical resource, the publisher and author should consider including more illustrations and direct links between text and references. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and general readers. G. D. Dreyer Connecticut College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
The oak is referred to as both mighty and majestic, used in everything from furniture to food, and found in nearly every temperate region of the earth. It's contribution to and sustenance of cultures since the dawn of humanity is easily, and often erroneously, taken for granted. Other trees, Logan claims, may be older, taller, more imposing, but none are so essential or so impressive as the oak. In this eloquent exploration of all things oak, Logan traces the historical applications and appreciations of the many ways in which the oak's byproducts have shaped civilizations throughout the world. From Homo sapiens' earliest harvesting of acorns as a basic foodstuff to the durable oak ships of the intrepid armadas that circumnavigated the globe, oak has been a vital contributor to humanity's economic, geographic, and cultural evolution. With an unabashed enthusiasm for his subject, Logan speaks almost conversationally of the oak's attributes, offering a comprehensive and entertaining history of this highly adaptable and overwhelmingly valuable natural resource. --Carol Haggas Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
There's good reason for the oak being called mighty, writes certified arborist and former New York Times columnist Logan (Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth) in this sprawling biography of a tree. It's ubiquitous, highly adaptable and was once the most essential tree in the Earth's temperate zones. Easily harvested acorns arguably nurtured people long before they learned to sow and hunt. Oak lumber, readily available and remarkably flexible, once made possible the naval and trading ships of seafaring nations; the same wood, shaped by craftsmen using fundamentally the same tools for thousands of years, was used to craft casks that stored water, wine and food on long voyages and through the seasons. Now, the tree that, according to Logan, once shaped civilizations, providing all "the material necessities for human life," is used primarily in the Western world for wooden pallets and low-end flooring. With this multidisciplinary study's recipe for acorn bread, its paean to the currier's leather-making craft and the cooper's barrel-making skill, and its thumbnail forays into religious rites, natural science and the importance of squirrels and jays, this work is an entertaining and instructive homage to the oak. 30 illus. not seen by PW. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The biography of a tree that has been collectively embraced for its multifaceted grandeur. The oak has never been taken for granted. It may not be the tallest of trees, nor the oldest or strongest, but it is common, flexible and generous in its many uses. In this superb and inviting profile, arborist/journalist Logan (Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, 1995) tells of how post-glacial humans followed the oak much as Basques followed cod, eating of their bounty--acorns in this case--on their way to new worlds, be they Kurd, Kashmiri or Korean. We get one savory oak tidbit after another. Early people used oak to make roads through fens, and employed oak cysts as coffins ("a suit of oak"). The trees were prized for their spiritual qualities--Druid comes from dru, meaning oak, and wid, meaning to see or know: "oak knowledge"--and for their sacred sites (or at least that's what some of the sites appear to be, though their function is still guesswork), such as the great floating wooden island of Flag Fen, or the many henges that were more often made of wood than stone. And there's much more to mull over, all of it handled with care and thought by Logan: the construction of northern longboats, the brilliance of the oaken barrel's design, the superiority of gall ink (Leonardo's favorite), the oaken ships that allowed for world trade. The author delves also into the tree's physical make-up, from its clouds of roots to the mechanics of leaf making. Logan takes such joy in his subject that he can find humor even in the tanners' toil: "When the bark came away, it made a noise like a quack, so a party of barkers sounded like a flock of ducks." The Royal Oak, the democratic oak, an oak for every season and purpose, all respectfully, admiringly and insightfully laid out for readers to marvel at. And marvel they will. (30 illustrations, not seen) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
