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A Natural History of Trees of Eastern and Central North America (1950)

by Donald Peattie

Other authors: Paul Landacre (Illustrator)

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1994135,414 (4.44)2
One of two genuine classics of American nature writing now in paperback; the other is A Natural History of Western Trees.
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» See also 2 mentions

Showing 4 of 4
Trees of Northeastern North America
  jhawn | Jul 31, 2017 |
I first read parts of this book when I was 12 (about 1976) and recently re-acquired a copy. Too many people have previously examined and praised this classic for me to add too much. The writing is elegant and the information is unusual, engaging and idiosyncratic. In my opinion, there is less really high quality natural history being written today. Much of what passes for it is more personal memoir or implied argument (Barbara Kingsolver, for example) or rather ironic in tone (David Quammen type). Peattie is the real deal, mixing human history with vivid description of natural phenomenon. The focus is on his subject, rather than his own views, but his love and appreciation for trees and their crucial role in human society comes through in every page. This book should not be missed by anyone who wants to understand, not just identify, trees.
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  kaitanya64 | Jan 3, 2017 |
This is a tome, but it's a brick with 5-20 pages of text for each entry. I don't used it for identifications, but I use it for finding out more about things I've already ID'd. (I have ambitions of one day reading it through, all 600 pages of small print.)
  melannen | Apr 12, 2012 |
An excellent resourse for identifying trees, with black and white drawings and lenghty descriptions. 600 pages. Includes key.
  CathyConway | Sep 6, 2008 |
Showing 4 of 4
Donald Culross Peattie in this book is tree authority, nature lover, and phrasemaker. His wide experience, unforced enthusiasm, and ability to use statistics in the way a theater director uses lighting, all make for an informative and delightful body of writing. . . . The amount of largely forgotten fact written entertainingly into these pages is enormous.
added by sgump | editChristian Science Monitor
 

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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Donald Peattieprimary authorall editionscalculated
Landacre, PaulIllustratorsecondary authorall editionsconfirmed
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The North America slva--our tree flora--is the grandest in the temperate zones of the earth, and in some ways the grandest anywhere. It has the tallest and the mightiest trees; it boasts so many kinds that there is no one who can say that he has seen them all in the life, and could name they every one on sight. It has still the densest stands of merchantable timber in the world; when the first Europeans came to our shores, our virgin forests, stretching from ocean to ocean and from actic strand to tropic, staggered the belief.
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One of two genuine classics of American nature writing now in paperback; the other is A Natural History of Western Trees.

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