The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment

by Richard Lewington, Richard Lewington

Describes the English oak tree and how it grows, and depicts some of the wide variety of creatures that live in oak forests, as well as the fungi and mosses that grow among them

Genres: Nature

60 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1993

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Lewington truly does quite spectacularly provide with his 1993 The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment (and suitable for both adults and children in my humble opinion, for anyone from about the age of eight or so onwards) an interesting, engaging, educational and indeed as the book title claims intricate visual exploration of two native European oak species, namely the Common Oak (Quercus robur) and the Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea), and that u>The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment is thus specifically European based and themed (and which of course also means that the fungi, mosses, ferns, lichens, liverworts, galls, that the birds, mammals, insects, spiders, worms and snails Lewington shows and describes in The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment as being associated with common oaks and sessile oaks are generally all native to Europe as well, except for the Grey Squirrel, that is, which is an invasive species imported to the United Kingdom from North America). Illustrated in glorious visual detail (realistic and very nicely colourful) by Richard Lewington and with basic but always more than adequate textual information being verbally provided, each page of The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment presents a new chapter in the life of common and sessile oaks, from acorn to tree, and through the four seasons.

Now anyone both young and old who is into botany (and especially bien sûr trees), biology and nature (both flora and fauna) would and should in my opinion appreciate and enjoy The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment. And yes, the combination of Richard Lewington's simple but solidly educational text and his wonderfully detailed illustrations do in and of themselves rate as five stars for me. However, and yes, this is indeed a large and majorly annoyed and frustrated however, that no references, that no sources and no suggestions for further reading are provided and included in The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment, this is a massive and all encompassing academic and intellectual shortcoming for me and as such also lowers my personal star rating from five to four and actually almost in fact to three stars (as I am quite aggravated by the fact DK Publishing generally seems to actively and deliberately ignore bibliographical materials and that this silliness really does take some of the textual and visual shine off The Natural History of the Oak Tree: An Intricate Visual Exploration of the Oak and Its Environment for me).

[Susan]

Trees are so fascinating. The more I know, the more I learn that I don't know and had no idea, and I love it! This was a really great close-up of a couple of (UK based) oak tree varieties, with all the species that live in and around it as well.

Reminded me of Wishtree, by Katherine Applegate, a little bit! A single tree is its own ecosystem and all that. Love it!