Out of the Woods

Can you identify that tree outside the window? Probably not. Most of us don’t know an oak from a sycamore, let alone a beech from a birch. This study is an affectionate, convivial introduction to Britain’s trees, in which Will Cohu provides a revelatory ramble through country and city, from woodlands of majestic oak and ash to mean streets lined with cherries. With ravishing illustrations by Mungo McCosh, it contains myriad tips for recognition and is rich in tree biography and gossip. This is a book that will enable you to tell your birch from your beech as you pass at 70mph, and will inspire even the most unreformed couch potato to brave the local park in search of nature’s national treasures.