Discovered Alive: The Story of the Chinese Redwood [Paperback]

William Gittlen (Author), William B. Gittlen (Photographer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0966921747 | ISBN-13: 978-0966921748 | Publication Date: March 15, 1999 | Edition: 1

Discovered Alive tells the remarkable story of the dawn redwood tree (Metasequoia glyptostroboides). In 1941, a Chinese forester chanced upon an unknown type of conifer growing in central China. A Berkeley paleobotanist traveled with a S.F. Chronicle newspaper reporter to view this living tree, which had been considered extinct for 20 million years. Fifty years after their expedition, the author retraced the steps of these two scientists to the hinterlands of China to learn what had become of the trees that the men had risked so much to see. Along the way, the reader is treated to descriptions of rural China, stories of other venerable trees, extraordinary tales of dedicated Asian plant collectors, and even musings on the serendipity of history itself. Included are 36 photographs and illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

I feel lucky to have been drawn into the fascinating world of the dawn redwood and luckier still for the oportunity to write about it. History is serendipitous. When dawn redwoods were discovered alive in a remote area of central China, they were on the brink of extinction even there. Imagine. After more than 100 million years on the planet, these trees could have completely disappeared without notice. Humans would not have had an inkling of what had been lost. Instead, by chance, an unusual tree was noted by a Chinese forester. Additional expeditions took place which allowed needles and cones to be collected and sent to professors in Nanjing and Beijing. Remarkably, the equation of the living trees with fossils that had been found throughout the northern hemisphere was recognized. A Berkeley paleobotanist resolved to travel to China. He could have died during the hazardous trek. Fortunately, he survived, and he took it upon himself to return to Nanjing to meet with top government leaders to advocate preservation of the tree. The high officials could have ignored him, and the inexperienced, freshly-hatched Communist regime could have abandoned all efforts to preserve the native trees. Instead, we are all lucky that this nisus of conservation occurred. Throughout my subsequent travels, I have discovered worlds that I never knew existed. I have made connections with people and places that have enriched my life. In Discovered Alive, I have documented many of these little-known stories. The journey continues. On a daily basis, I receive correspondence from the vast network of people across China and America whose lives have been touched by the dawn redwood. Buy the book on Amazon.com and join the Metasequoia circle.

About the Author

William Gittlen is a Berkeley-based emergency physician who travels the world in search of natural wonders. He is one of the foremost authorities on the history of Metasequoia glyptostroboides. His article, "Reunion with a Chinese Redwood," appeared in the fall issue of California Wild, the magazine of the California Academy of Sciences.

Product Details

• Paperback: 167 pages
• Publisher: Pierside Pub; 1 edition (March 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966921747
• ISBN-13: 978-0966921748
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,530,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars entertaining and educational, May 24, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Discovered Alive: The Story of the Chinese Redwood (Paperback)

The redwoods of the world, so few remain today. Gittlen's travel was personal and touched a core inside of me because I am a redwood lover too. Chances had it arranged that the Chinese Redwood to be saved and propagated throughout the world, and Gittlen further did redwoods favor by documenting the people, places and events which led to today's preservation efforts on any redwood species. A great read for amateur botanists. Hope that one day I can repeat or expand Gittlen's journey myself.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Discovering the Chinese Redwood was great!, March 3, 2003

By 

CAMIRE (Capac, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Discovered Alive: The Story of the Chinese Redwood (Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and came across it as I was looking for more information on the Dawn Redwood, which is the focus of the book. This book tells the story of a man that was also on a search for information on the tree and where his search eventually leads him-back to the home of the Dawn Redwood-China! I highly recommend this book and the author is held as an authority on the history of the Dawn Redwood-because if you surf the web you will find many accounts that are nowhere near being true! Discover this book!