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The Glorious Life of the Oak

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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Glorious Life of the Oak by John Lewis-Stempel, read by Leighton Pugh.

'The oak is the wooden tie between heaven and earth. It is the lynch pin of the British landscape.'

The oak is our most beloved and most common tree. It has roots that stretch back to all the old European cultures but Britain has more ancient oaks than all the other European countries put together. More than half the ancient oaks in the world are in Britain.

Many of our ancestors - the Angles, the Saxons, the Norse - came to the British Isles in longships made of oak. For centuries the oak touched every part of a Briton's life - from cradle to coffin It was oak that made the 'wooden walls' of Nelson's navy, and the navy that allowed Britain to rule the world. Even in the digital Apple age, the real oak has resonance - the word speaks of fortitude, antiquity, pastoralism.

The Glorious Life of the Oak explores our long relationship with this iconic tree; it considers the life-cycle of the oak, the flora and fauna that depend on the oak, the oak as medicine, food and drink, where Britain's mightiest oaks can be found, and it tells of oak stories from folklore, myth and legend.

 Ecosystems & Habitats Environment Nature & Ecology Outdoors & Nature Science Conservation Natural History

Critic reviews

A beautiful object and a very British story written with real lyricism - some of the finest sentences I've read. (Neil Oliver)
Lewis-Stempel is one of the best of the new generation of nature writers, an oak himself in that particular corner of the literary forest. As a working farmer, from a long line of Herefordshire farmers, he has daily exposure to his source material. In books such as Meadowland, The Running Hare and, most recently, The Wood, he has distilled his knowledge and his enthusiasm into a style that is as rich and earthy as its subject.
Our greatest nature writer
A lively little book
All stars
Most relevant
Loved this book. Another little gem told in the poetic way that we have come to expect from JLS. Excellent narration too.

Another beautiful book from JLS

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Really informative. Excellently read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, packed with interesting history and information.

Really informative. Excellently read. Wonderful.

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Fascinating history and natural history of the oak. Well worth 100 minutes of anyone’s time.

Marvellous little book

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What a shame that such a wonderful subject doesn't afford the reader enough time to digest what is being read. Transitions are too rapid and the 'soul' of the subject and it's huge importance in time and place is lost in a rather text book style narration.

A great writer who reads too rapidly.

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If you have any interest in trees you'll love The Glorious Life of the Oak. Full of entertaining and interesting snippets of information you'll learn lots and come away in awe of the impact these green giants have on our lives.

An enchanting book

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