Coast Redwood: A Natural and Cultural History (Paperback)

by Michael G. Barbour (Editor), John Evarts (Editor), Marjorie Popper (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A beautifully packaged book from the publishers of "Oaks of California" and "Conifers of California." -- Santa Barbara News-Press October 7, 2001

A marvelous, deeply informative book richly illustrated with over 330 photographs. -- California Wild (magazine), Winter 2002

Not only showcases the trees, but in more than 200 color photographs reveals the immense diversity of . . . the forest. -- Sierra (magazine), May/June 2002

Other books feature giant trees . . . but this volume celebrates a single species . . . in a way that is unrivaled in publishing. -- Crossosoma:Journal of the Southern California Botanists, Fall/Winter 2003

The authors have ... made the natural and cultural history of coastal redwoods exciting and accessible to ordinary folks. -- Econews:Newsletter of the Northcoast Environmental Center October, 2001

The breadth of coverage is exceptional, and the fine photographs on every page illuminate the text with beauty and clarity. -- California Coast & Ocean (magazine), Spring 2002

The text is exemplary . . . Naturalists and redwood lovers of all types will find this book to be essential. -- Fremontia (journal), January 2002 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Cachuma Press; 1st edition (August 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962850551
• ISBN-13: 978-0962850554
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,217 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a redwood book with facts to match its pictures, January 23, 2002

By	Ronald Lanner (Placerville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Coast Redwood: A Natural and Cultural History (Hardcover)

Coast redwood is the world's tallest tree. It is also one of the most useful,rapidly producing enormous volumes of high-grade timber that satisfies many of man's structural and esthetic needs. It grows in very wet habitats that support high biodiversity. And the land it grows on is often fragile and easily eroded with disastrous consequences. For these reasons, and some others, the management and conservation of coast redwood has for well over a century been a focus of popular passions and public policies. From the fraudulent land-grabs of the Timber and Stone Act days to the tree-sit of Julia Butterfly Hill, this valuable and beautiful tree has excited those who would destroy it,those who would preserve it, and those who would use it sustainably.Coast redwood is also a botanical curiosity, from its hexaploid genome to its clonal habit; and much has been learned of its paleohistory. Finally, it is probably the tree that is known of by more people than any other, famous almost everywhere in the world. It is not surprising that much ink has been spilled over the years because of this tree. It has probably inspired the writing of more books than any other woody species, and the publication of more pretty pictures. Unfortunately, most of those books were written when little was known of the science of redwood; or when environmental photography had few practitioners; or by authors who knew a good sales opportunity but had little knowledge of their subject. Well, finally a redwood book has emerged that has the facts to match its utterly stunning pictorials. Though team-written by six authors, its expertise is unquestioned, and its smooth editing lets you glide without bumps from one topic to another. And the topics are comprehensive: origins and distribution, life history, ecology, wildlife, harvest and utilization, history of preservation, and conservation and management. Before writing this review I focused mainly on the biology, and found it nearly impeccable, and far more detailed than what is available elsewhere. But I found myself frequently turning pages to admire the color photos, or the nineteenth century black-and-whites, or the fascinating sidebars on a wide variety of subjects. So maybe I missed an overstatement, or even a blunder somewhere. Maybe. But since this is hands-down the most sumptously illustrated, factually rich monograph of any single tree species ever written for a popular and professional readership, I can only recommend you buy it. But only if you have an interest in forestry, botany, the environment, conservation, history, or wildlife. And if you think you can keep friends and family members from snatching it when your back is turned.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone interested in Redwood forests, January 9, 2002

By	Jonathan Knowles (the San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

Novices and academics alike will want copies for their libraries.

This is the first contemporary book that outlines the complete natural and cultural history of the world's tallest tree the Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. This book makes the most up-to-date scientific information about the trees, their ecology and associated wildlife, accessible and exciting to ordinary folks.

The authors tell the story of these remarkable trees, their logging, the emotions they have inspired, as well as the past- and present-day battles to preserve these forests in an easy to read, balanced manner.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read. Great photographs., March 10, 2006

By	William Fletcher (Little River, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Coast Redwood: A Natural and Cultural History (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book on the magnificent redwoods and is a great read. It covers the ancient history and scientific aspects of the redwood forest as well as the cultural history from the glutinous, pillaging past to the environmental inspiration and discoveries that may help save some small remnant of this tiny but magestic portion of our planet.

In addition, the photos are not a publishers quick picks of stock photos to fill the book, but are high resolution photo art from great photographers. I recently moved to the Mendocino area and wanted to get up to speed on the area that has fascinated me so much. This book was the perfect choice.