“. . . an authoritative, up-to-date survey of modern forestry practice, set picturesquely . . . among quotations and decorations from the first such book to be written in England.”
“There is a brief accountant of tree biology, then a long series of chapters on all the main British species of trees . . . These are delightful chapters: Hemery describes the trees attractively one by one, often coming up with fascinating facts about them, but concentrates always on the soundest methods of growing them . . .”
“[Evelyn’s] many appearances in the text, the starred quotations from him that dot the pages, and even the layouts and occasional typography from Sylva, while they may seem bizarre in a scholarly work, nevertheless add something striking and worthwhile to the book.”
“The other important feature of the book is its illustrations. Black-and-white drawings by Sarah Simblet crowd the pages. They have an easy grace, while illustrating their subjects in the finest detail. They range from a bud on a twig to a whole tree in the landscape.”
Cherries, oaks and shifting beech – by Derwent May
Times Literary Supplement, August 8th 2014
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