The mighty oak is omnipresent in human history. Visible throughout the world's temperate zones, this magnificent tree has long sustained both humans and animals with shelter and acorns. In addition, oak has been central to religious rites, heating, homemaking, and travel by land and sea. Ink from oak galls advanced the written word; oak casks have made possible food and drink storage and transport; and oak ships have fought major naval battles that have determined political and economic history. A fascinating look at the world's most distinguished deciduous tree.
There's good reason for the oak being called mighty, writes certified arborist and former New York Times columnist Logan (Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth) in this sprawling biography of a tree. It's ubiquitous, highly adaptable and was once the most essential tree in the Earth's temperate zones. Easily harvested acorns arguably nurtured people long before they learned to sow and hunt. Oak lumber, readily available and remarkably flexible, once made possible the naval and trading ships of seafaring nations; the same wood, shaped by craftsmen using fundamentally the same tools for thousands of years, was used to craft casks that stored water, wine and food on long voyages and through the seasons. Now, the tree that, according to Logan, once shaped civilizations, providing all "the material necessities for human life," is used primarily in the Western world for wooden pallets and low-end flooring. With this multidisciplinary study's recipe for acorn bread, its paean to the currier's leather-making craft and the cooper's barrel-making skill, and its thumbnail forays into religious rites, natural science and the importance of squirrels and jays, this work is an entertaining and instructive homage to the oak. 30 illus. not seen by PW. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
The biography of a tree that has been collectively embraced for its multifaceted grandeur. The oak has never been taken for granted. It may not be the tallest of trees, nor the oldest or strongest, but it is common, flexible and generous in its many uses. In this superb and inviting profile, arborist/journalist Logan (Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, 1995) tells of how post-glacial humans followed the oak much as Basques followed cod, eating of their bounty-acorns in this case-on their way to new worlds, be they Kurd, Kashmiri or Korean. We get one savory oak tidbit after another. Early people used oak to make roads through fens, and employed oak cysts as coffins ("a suit of oak"). The trees were prized for their spiritual qualities-Druid comes from dru, meaning oak, and wid, meaning to see or know: "oak knowledge"-and for their sacred sites (or at least that's what some of the sites appear to be, though their function is still guesswork), such as the great floating wooden island of Flag Fen, or the many henges that were more often made of wood than stone. And there's much more to mull over, all of it handled with care and thought by Logan: the construction of northern longboats, the brilliance of the oaken barrel's design, the superiority of gall ink (Leonardo's favorite), the oaken ships that allowed for world trade. The author delves also into the tree's physical make-up, from its clouds of roots to the mechanics of leaf making. Logan takes such joy in his subject that he can find humor even in the tanners' toil: "When the bark came away, it made a noise like a quack, so a party of barkers sounded like a flock of ducks."The Royal Oak, the democratic oak, an oak for every seasonand purpose, all respectfully, admiringly and insightfully laid out for readers to marvel at. And marvel they will. (30 illustrations, not seen)
"Logan’s beautiful treatment opened my eyes to how much human experience on this planet has depended on the single (albeit wonderfully varied) genus Quercus ."
PBS NewsHour - Richard Powers
"Human civilization, from its very inception, has been intertwined with the evolution of the oak. From the scientific and practical to the philosophical and spiritual, Logan amazes readers with the connections between Homo and Quercus ."
Outdoor America - Carl Keeler
"Oak trees have participated in a surprising swath of human history, and now they have finally been recognized for it. William Logan’s Oak is an utterly fascinating story and, in a strange way, a humbling one."
"Passion is never boring…[Logan’s] affection and admiration for the oak tree are so persuasive that the next time you see one you might be inspired to kneel before it in recognition of its sprawling contributions to mankind."
"Certified arborist and nature writer William Bryant Logan has brought a literary voice to the story of the mighty oak. This wonderful history is written in a storyteller’s voice."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer - Debra Prinzing
"Any student of history or lover of the woods will enjoy discovering the many contributions that this tree has made. Readers will have plenty to think about next time they pass under a canopy of these amazing trees."
"Logan is a gentle ecologist, and paints an enthralling picture of the cooperative business going on underground."
"Oak has plenty to teach us…In his own way, Logan is restoring knowledge that disappeared, and in the end it is his passion for the trees themselves that makes this book remarkable."
Boston Globe - Anthony Doerr
