The Yew Tree

by Hal Hartzell Jr

Book by Hartzell Jr, Hal

319 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this unique book from the author a few years ago. Written in 1991, when taxol in yew trees was used for cancer research, much of it addresses waste and exploitation of the tree in the Pacific Northwest, especially Southern Oregon. However, the rest of the book is fascinating, a virtual biography of the ancient yew in Europe, Great Britain and the Pacific Northwest. There is actually a catalog of living, dying, and dead yews in Great Britain, some over 3,000 years old. I loved the chapter about poets from Chaucer to T. S. Eliot, espousing the magnificent yew.

[Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good