Rating: 
Summary: A Love of Trees got bigger
Review: I heard Thomas speak at Swarthmore College this past Spring(2002)at the woody conference. I was tempted to leave early on this beautiful Friday afternoon, but my conscience prevailed for after all my job had sent me to this conference to learn some things. Was I glad I stayed to hear Thomas, what a delightful speaker and presenter. He had the audience spell-bound and of course we all wanted the book, which he did not have for sale at the event. Why, I cannot imagine, because I am positive he would have sold out. This book is so wonderful it is almost impossible to describe, except he takes one to another level of appreciation for trees. I already loved trees and was almost arrested one time for trying to stop a huge stately live oak from being murdered to make way for, of all things, a Burger King. As if we needed one more hamburger stand. Anyway, Thomas showed me there are so many unusual trees around the world that I *must* see, but until I can travel, I can open that book and plan my adventures.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond amazing!
Review: I've had the personal fortune of growing up in the tropical island of Sri Lanka and of having a mother who
studied Botany. Every foray into the outdoors, every trip out of town was a lesson on plants, shrubs and
trees. Oh, and the real-life education was supplanted (ha!) by books and documentaries. Well imagine my utter amazement to see that the tree that most captured my imagination as a kid - the
"Ficus Benjamina" in the botanical garden in Kandy, Sri Lanka - has been selected by Packenham as one of the most remarkable trees in the world! A peculiarity with this particular selection is that the species is not indigenous to Sri Lanka while I noticed
that most of the other trees depicted in the book are in their natural environs. (There is a chapter called the "Aliens", on trees that have attained their magnificience away from home, but the above - mentioned ficus is not categorized as such.) This book is a treat to anyone interested in unusual phenomena. In addition to the kinds of trees one expects
to see in such a book - the redwoods and the gnarled bristlecone pines - there are the baobabs; giant living bottles, and a strangely fascinating ginkgo, enormous wattles draping down its massive trunk.
The book is a mixture of the grotesque and the graceful, the dignified and the deranged, and all manners of trees
in between.
Need a hostess gift for a Halloween party? I'd recommend this!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Photography, Great Text, Great Subject Matter.
Review: If you are trying to give a gift to someone who you really like, this book would be ideal - It's that good. Briefly, this is a book of photographs of 60 trees scattered throughout the world that appeal to the author in some way. The photos are excellent and if you have ever tried to photograph a tree you will appreciate the thought and hard work that went into this book. The author includes photos of the biggest, the oldest, the holiest, and the oddest trees in the world. Ruminating about why he chose these particular trees is as fun as viewing the photos and text. Each photo is accompanied by well-written text that fleshes out the photos with historical, biological, or cultural information regarding each tree and its setting. I found myself lost in time and space as I read this book and looked at the trees - which is probably what the author intended and why he calls these trees "remarkable". The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I read it after I had read Pakenham's first book, "Meetings With Remarkable Trees", which is even richer and better. I'm no tree-hugger but after reading these books I could be tempted.
Rating:
Summary: Great Photography, Great Text, Great Subject Matter.
Review: If you are trying to give a gift to someone who you really like, this book would be ideal - It's that good. Briefly, this is a book of photographs of 60 trees scattered throughout the world that appeal to the author in some way. The photos are excellent and if you have ever tried to photograph a tree you will appreciate the thought and hard work that went into this book. The author includes photos of the biggest, the oldest, the holiest, and the oddest trees in the world. Ruminating about why he chose these particular trees is as fun as viewing the photos and text. Each photo is accompanied by well-written text that fleshes out the photos with historical, biological, or cultural information regarding each tree and its setting. I found myself lost in time and space as I read this book and looked at the trees - which is probably what the author intended and why he calls these trees "remarkable". The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because I read it after I had read Pakenham's first book, "Meetings With Remarkable Trees", which is even richer and better. I'm no tree-hugger but after reading these books I could be tempted.
Rating:
Summary: A must for all tree lovers
Review: In "Remarkable Trees of the World" Thomas Pakenham has taken his personal love of trees and turned it into a remarkable book. By turns photo album, travelogue and field guide, this book transcends any one of these classifications and becomes something truly "remarkable" as a result. First off, the photography is absolutely spectacular, and all the more impressive because the author took the pictures himself. Anyone who has wiled away the hours beneath the branches of a particularly noble arboreal friend, can't help but be enchanted by these shots. Reproduced with beautiful clarity and color, Pakenham succeeds in capturing the essence of each of his subjects. Secondly, Pakenham's descriptions of how he came across these trees are engaging in their own right. The "World" in the title isn't just for show; he literally travels to the ends of the earth to capture his remarkable subjects. His musings about what trees reflect of the surrounding culture and geography are fascinating and engaging. While anyone who buys this book is clearly doing so for the photography, that doesn't mean that the writing is at all sub-par. Finally, while this isn't a botanical study by any means, Pakenham does discuss some interesting aspects of tree-ring dating, conservation, and evolution. While no particular topic is considered in any great detail, he offers plenty of jumping off points for anyone interested in pursuing the subject matter in more detail. "Remarkable Trees of the World" is a must have for any nature lover. Pakenham does a superb job of surveying a broad variety of trees, and there were several I'd never even heard of. Moreover, he offers great suggestions about which of these trees will survive where; I'm already looking forward to a more varied planting than I had planned on in my backyard this spring! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A must for all tree lovers
Review: In "Remarkable Trees of the World" Thomas Pakenham has taken his personal love of trees and turned it into a remarkable book. By turns photo album, travelogue and field guide, this book transcends any one of these classifications and becomes something truly "remarkable" as a result. First off, the photography is absolutely spectacular, and all the more impressive because the author took the pictures himself. Anyone who has wiled away the hours beneath the branches of a particularly noble arboreal friend, can't help but be enchanted by these shots. Reproduced with beautiful clarity and color, Pakenham succeeds in capturing the essence of each of his subjects. Secondly, Pakenham's descriptions of how he came across these trees are engaging in their own right. The "World" in the title isn't just for show; he literally travels to the ends of the earth to capture his remarkable subjects. His musings about what trees reflect of the surrounding culture and geography are fascinating and engaging. While anyone who buys this book is clearly doing so for the photography, that doesn't mean that the writing is at all sub-par. Finally, while this isn't a botanical study by any means, Pakenham does discuss some interesting aspects of tree-ring dating, conservation, and evolution. While no particular topic is considered in any great detail, he offers plenty of jumping off points for anyone interested in pursuing the subject matter in more detail. "Remarkable Trees of the World" is a must have for any nature lover. Pakenham does a superb job of surveying a broad variety of trees, and there were several I'd never even heard of. Moreover, he offers great suggestions about which of these trees will survive where; I'm already looking forward to a more varied planting than I had planned on in my backyard this spring! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: An especially recommended visual experience
Review: In Remarkable Trees Of The World, Thomas Pakenham informatively combines stunning, full-color photography with intriguing tales of famous and ancient trees worldwide. Each individual anecdote tells a simple yet amazing story of great, arboreal giants that live for so long as to be seemingly be immortal - save to the hungry depredations of humanity, that is. Attention engaging and "reader friendly", Remarkable Trees Of The World is an especially recommended visual experience for nature lovers -- and an especially suitable selection for school and community library Memorial Fund acquisition lists.
Rating:
Summary: A Most Magnificent Book - Spectacular Photographs!
Review: Joyce Kilmer wrote, "I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree." Here in this magnificent publication, "Remarkable Trees Of The World," Thomas Pakenham has given us a book that is, indeed, a poem worthy of trees, gifts to Earth from God. Enchanting, majestic, some almost mystical, these trees are truly remarkable, as the title suggests. Pakenham, on a five-year odyssey to most of the world's tropical and temperate regions, photographed and wrote about sixty of his most notable discoveries. The results are a delight - the photographs spectacular. Selected for their age, size, form and historical interest, some of the author's choices include, Japan's bonsai, Sequoia's redwoods, Death Valley's Joshua Trees, banyons, a 4700-year-old Methuselah, a 4600-year-old bristlecone pine and a tiny tree in Morocco with six goats perched in the branches, plus sacred trees, haunted trees and once-inhabited trees. The well written text and anecdotes provides legends and history. Pakenham has taken his love for trees and communicated his feelings, in beautiful living color, for all of us to enjoy. This book makes a wonderful gift, especially for nature lovers. I recently gave it to a friend as a birthday present and was thrilled at how well it was received.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: A Most Magnificent Book - Spectacular Photographs!
Review: Joyce Kilmer wrote, "I think that I shall never see, A poem lovely as a tree." Here in this magnificent publication, "Remarkable Trees Of The World," Thomas Pakenham has given us a book that is, indeed, a poem worthy of trees, gifts to Earth from God. Enchanting, majestic, some almost mystical, these trees are truly remarkable, as the title suggests. Pakenham, on a five-year odyssey to most of the world's tropical and temperate regions, photographed and wrote about sixty of his most notable discoveries. The results are a delight - the photographs spectacular. Selected for their age, size, form and historical interest, some of the author's choices include, Japan's bonsai, Sequoia's redwoods, Death Valley's Joshua Trees, banyons, a 4700-year-old Methuselah, a 4600-year-old bristlecone pine and a tiny tree in Morocco with six goats perched in the branches, plus sacred trees, haunted trees and once-inhabited trees. The well written text and anecdotes provides legends and history. Pakenham has taken his love for trees and communicated his feelings, in beautiful living color, for all of us to enjoy. This book makes a wonderful gift, especially for nature lovers. I recently gave it to a friend as a birthday present and was thrilled at how well it was received.
JANA
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book
Review: This is a beautiful book. The Photographs alone are almost worth the price. The text is a whimsical account of the author's encounters with his subjects (the trees) and a mish mash of fun historical tidbits. Pakenham brings history, mythology and bit of ecology together in tight one to two page sections that are easily digestible in a sitting. In other words, this is the perfect coffee table book, a good browse and a launching point for the imagination. The reason why I gave it only four stars, instead of five, is that I would have liked a little more ecological substance. As an ecologist, this is a personal preference and in no way should hinder one from purchasing this book. If, however, you are looking for something with a little more science check out Forest Giants of the Pacific Coast by Robert Van Pelt, which is unique in it's ability to convey the ecology and natural history of the trees it covers.
| 
