Ways of the Woods: A Guide to the Skills and Spirit of the Woodland Experience

by William M. Harlow

As the chapter headings indicate, "Ways of the Woods" is a storehouse of practical information and step-by-step guides aimed at helping the reader to know the forested lands of this country more intimately and enjoy them more fully. It is the story of his 50-year love affair with what the author likes to call the greenwood. It's about such activities as building shelters, orienteering, tree-felling, and organized camping, but it's also about what it FEELS like to engage in those activities and do them well. The book is at once a handy guide to woodsmanship and a look into the soul of a woodsman. It is at the same time a chronicle of modern conservation and a powerful refutation of the claim that the old woodcraft is dead.

130 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1979

Reviews

[Dan Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of the information in this book I learned from my years in the Boy Scouts. But that was in the '70s. I wonder if the Scouts still teach how to use an axe? This book was also published in the 70s, so some material is a bit dated (e.g., the best clothing fabric for outdoors). But there were a couple of essays that I think made the purchase worthwhile: how to hike and camp alone, what to do if you get lost, and (my favorite) how best to physically walk in the woods.
I will recycle this book back into the used bookstore world from whence I plucked it, so that someone else may benefit from some insights from a half-century ago.