A much-loved classic of nature writing from environmentalist and author of Waterlog, Roger Deakin, Wildwood is an exploration of the element wood in nature, 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 our enduring connection with wood and 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 trees of the Haut-Languedoc and hunts bush plums in the outback.
‘Breathtaking, vividly written . . . reading Wildwood is an elegiac experience’ Sunday Times
‘Enchanting, very funny, every page carries a fascinating nugget’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday
‘Extraordinary . . . some of the finest naturalist writing for many years’ Independent
. . . from the Trees
In Issue 75, I said some books help you grow. Others help you let go. Our son was 17 when he disappeared. I’ll call him R. We bought our place that was big enough to plant trees when he was 14....
Read moreSeeing the Wood . . .
Some books grow on you. Others help you grow. In January 1990, aged 24 and not long out of drama school, I landed a job: six months touring an Alan Ayckbourn play round secondary schools in northern...
Read moreTaking the Plunge
The notion of a long swim through Britain began in the pouring rain while Roger Deakin was swimming in his moat in Suffolk. The idea became an obsession and, inspired by John Cheever’s short story...
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