In Search of Remarkable Trees

The famed author ofThe Boer WarandRemarkable Trees of the Worldpresents some of the oldest, most unusual, and most impressive trees on the planet as he travels across Southern Africa and Madagascar. Thomas Pakenham, no stranger to Africa with his award-winning booksThe Boer WarandThe Scramble for Africa, nor to remarkable trees with his bestsellingRemarkable Trees of the World, combines his two interests on safari in Southern Africa. His particular quarry is the rare, the giant, the very old, the extraordinary, or the simply beautifulfrom a giant baobab and a prickly quiver tree in Namibia to a glorious jacaranda in South Africa and sesame bushes attacked by elephants in Botswana. He uncovers trees written about by the great explorers of the past, or associated with magic, folklore, or ritual. The narrative accompanying each image interweaves the stories of Pakenham's own journeyat some moments scaling trees to escape from enraged wildlife, while at others standing in awe before a particular tree, connected by some primitive, atavistic bondwith those of the trees themselves, imbuing each with personality and presence. The result is a beautifully crafted blend of botany and social history, the product of a brilliant photographer, an original mind, and a superlative writer.Pakenham, Thomas is the author of 'In Search of Remarkable Trees', published 2007 under ISBN 9780802716927 and ISBN 080271692X.