The Ax Book tells you how to use an ax safely and efficiently for every task it can perform, especially in connection with cutting firewood: felling trees, trimming them, sectioning them, splitting them. The author isn't afraid to compare the ax with the chainsaw in this work, and he explains the use of the latter tool as well. What is possible to learn about using an ax from a book, his book will teach.
—From the Foreword by Castle Freeman

Author Dudley Cook, who, from what it says on the indicia page, was born in 1921, has clearly had a rich experience growing up in rural Maine. He weaves a lot of history-personal and otherwise-into his descriptions and explanations of the various tools he discusses within the pages. But The Ax Book is not just about what we thought was a familiar tool. It is a guide to axmanship, tree-felling, splitting, and storing wood. It covers species, heating value, and handling what you've harvested. And there are intricate chapters on sharpening, hanging (fitting handles), and on handles themselves. Beyond that, Cook goes into saws and their care, gets into woodlot management, and discusses the benefits of using an ax over a chain saw. The book includes a series of fine pen-and-ink illustrations and a working index, and offers a glossary that in itself is a good read. Though spring may not be the best time to harvest your wood; it's a good time to be preparing for it, and if anything, The Ax Book will help you do that.