Dazzling, passionate nature writing – a celebration of Britain’s woods and forests and a rousing call to fight for them
A Guardian Best Nature Book of the Year
'I loved it.' Tom Holland, co-host of The Rest is History
The magic and mystery of the woods are embedded in culture, from ancient folklore to modern literature. They offer us refuge: a place to play, a place to think. They are the generous providers of timber and energy. They let us dream of other ways of living. Yet we now face a future where taking a walk in the woods is consigned to the tales we tell our children.
Immersing himself in the beauty of woodland Britain, Peter Fiennes explores our long relationship with the woods and the sad and violent story of how so many have been lost. Just as we need them, our woods need us too. But who, if anyone, is looking out for them?
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‘A passionate ramble through Britain’s complicated relationship with its woodland.’ Daily Mail
‘Extraordinary… Fiennes’s book winningly combines autobiography, literary history and nature writing. It feels set to become a classic of the genre.’ Observer
‘Steeped in poetry, science, folklore, history and magic, Fiennes is an eloquent, elegiac chronicler of copses, coppicing and the wildwood.’ Sunday Express
Peter Fiennes is the author of the critically acclaimed Footnotes, Oak and Ash and Thorn, and To War with God. As the publisher for Time Out, he nurtured a lifelong obsession with old guidebooks, creating award-winning city guides, walking books and titles about Britain’s countryside and seaside. He lives in south-west London.
‘Extraordinary… Written with a mixture of lyricism and quiet fury…Fiennes’s book winningly combines autobiography, literary history and nature writing. It feels set to become a classic of the genre.’
‘Steeped in poetry, science, folklore, history and magic, Fiennes is an eloquent, elegiac chronicler of copses, coppicing and the wildwood.’
‘Peter Fiennes writes with a piercingly urgent tone as he examines what he sees as the desperate state of our trees.’
‘Fascinating…This passionate book should inspire readers to plant more trees, support woodland campaigns and participate in active conservation.’
‘Lyrical, angry and often very funny. I loved it.’
‘Rich, personal, evocative, rousing.’
‘A passionate ramble through Britain’s complicated relationship with its woodland.’
‘A joy of a book and a delight to read.’
‘A wonderful wander into the woods that explores our deep-rooted connections – cultural, historical and personal – with the trees.’
‘A tender hymn to the trees, a manifesto for a woodland society, a contemporary gazette of ideas and attitudes radiating into the future like annual rings from the original pith… In this lyrical, informative, unashamedly arboreal propaganda, one man’s walk in the woods can inspire a generation.’
‘Peter Fiennes really can see the wood for the trees – he blends mythology, natural history and a sense of righteous anger to produce a paean of praise to our ancient woodlands and modern forests, and the life support system they provide.’
‘Passionate and thoughtful in exactly the way the best nature writing should be…the woodlands of Britain have found their perfect advocate.’
‘Fiennes is the best of guides, gently, eloquently and with a fierce humour telling a sad story – relating chapters of fascinating detail to brighten his tale and quoting the poets as he goes.’
