A Natural History of North American Trees.

A NATURAL HISTORY OF NORTH AMERICAN TREES DONALD CULROSS PEATTIE Published in the 1950s, botanist and naturalist Peattie's two books on trees of North America contained some of the most influential nature writing of the time. This new book combines and updates those classics while maintaining the poetry of Peattie's original descriptions. More than offering a field guide, Peattie provides historical and cultural notes about the willows, oaks, elms, magnolias, and other trees that populate the United States. He describes California's majestic redwoods, detailing how Spanish settlers discovered those trees' wood to be perfect for the beams of churches and how the timber was eventually used throughout the United States. The book includes arcane details such as that Charles Darwin believed the oak tree to be the apex of plant evolution. Throughout the book, Peattie paints a picture of how trees influenced the early development of this country, and he laments the destruction and waste of America's forests. The book retains the detailed etchings that illustrated the original volumes. Houghton Mifflin. 2007, 490 p., b&w illus, hardcover, $40.00.