A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

All you need to know, 25 Nov 2008
Fairly early on in my Forestry degree we discovered this book. It really does have the vast majority of everything you need to know to complete the course. It has become the first thing I suggest to anyone thinking of studying forestry. Highly recommended.

The core textbook for forestry , 21 May 2007
If you are studying forestry this book is a must-have.
The book covers just about every core area of study and is easy to read and sensibly structured.
Whilst no book will give you all the answers, this book is invaluable in giving a very good introduction and guiding you in further reading.


A very useful book for forestry students, 22 Jul 2004
I am a forestry student, and this book was a recommended textbook.
This book is very good. At first it seems expensive but once you flick though, you see that it contains a wealth of information on everything to do with forestry.
When researching for projects, this is often the last book you need to look at. If you can't find it anywhere else, then this encylopaedia of forestry probable has the answer. It also has some interesting photographs and tables.

A piece on the usefulnessand value of Practical Forestry, 28 Aug 1999
I am a student of Tree Management and Arboriculture, and due to this I have to submit several peices of forestry related work over a period of two years. Of the many books availible for reference or study, I must say that Practical forestry for it's price is extremely good. It is very comprehensive and contains all the detailed technical information you could need. Unfortunately this means that it can be a bit beguileing compared to books such as The Foresters Companion, which is very easy reading. Students will find however that the information in this book can be used to produce high grade work with some ease. Also, compared to books such as Modern Arboriculture.... Practical Forestry is of in my opinion, extremely good value.

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

All you need to know, 25 Nov 2008
Fairly early on in my Forestry degree we discovered this book. It really does have the vast majority of everything you need to know to complete the course. It has become the first thing I suggest to anyone thinking of studying forestry. Highly recommended.

The core textbook for forestry , 21 May 2007
If you are studying forestry this book is a must-have.
The book covers just about every core area of study and is easy to read and sensibly structured.
Whilst no book will give you all the answers, this book is invaluable in giving a very good introduction and guiding you in further reading.


A very useful book for forestry students, 22 Jul 2004
I am a forestry student, and this book was a recommended textbook.
This book is very good. At first it seems expensive but once you flick though, you see that it contains a wealth of information on everything to do with forestry.
When researching for projects, this is often the last book you need to look at. If you can't find it anywhere else, then this encylopaedia of forestry probable has the answer. It also has some interesting photographs and tables.

A piece on the usefulnessand value of Practical Forestry, 28 Aug 1999
I am a student of Tree Management and Arboriculture, and due to this I have to submit several peices of forestry related work over a period of two years. Of the many books availible for reference or study, I must say that Practical forestry for it's price is extremely good. It is very comprehensive and contains all the detailed technical information you could need. Unfortunately this means that it can be a bit beguileing compared to books such as The Foresters Companion, which is very easy reading. Students will find however that the information in this book can be used to produce high grade work with some ease. Also, compared to books such as Modern Arboriculture.... Practical Forestry is of in my opinion, extremely good value.

Useful book, 01 Dec 2006
Written by an very experienced forester, this is a useful book, with plenty of good pratical advice covering all aspects of small woodland management. While I take his rather conventional approach to the subject with a pinch of salt (I much prefer Ben Law's "Woodland way"), it really should be on the bookshelf of every woodland owner.

This an excellent book, easy to read & full on information., 17 Oct 1998
This book goes a long way to help the average woodland owner, whether he/she be a professional or beginer, Looking to maintain and improve an existing woodland. Ken has taken his extensive knowledge and weaved an excellent manual which anyone will be able to understand & follow. This book is SIMPLY A JOY TO READ!

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

All you need to know, 25 Nov 2008
Fairly early on in my Forestry degree we discovered this book. It really does have the vast majority of everything you need to know to complete the course. It has become the first thing I suggest to anyone thinking of studying forestry. Highly recommended.

The core textbook for forestry , 21 May 2007
If you are studying forestry this book is a must-have.
The book covers just about every core area of study and is easy to read and sensibly structured.
Whilst no book will give you all the answers, this book is invaluable in giving a very good introduction and guiding you in further reading.


A very useful book for forestry students, 22 Jul 2004
I am a forestry student, and this book was a recommended textbook.
This book is very good. At first it seems expensive but once you flick though, you see that it contains a wealth of information on everything to do with forestry.
When researching for projects, this is often the last book you need to look at. If you can't find it anywhere else, then this encylopaedia of forestry probable has the answer. It also has some interesting photographs and tables.

A piece on the usefulnessand value of Practical Forestry, 28 Aug 1999
I am a student of Tree Management and Arboriculture, and due to this I have to submit several peices of forestry related work over a period of two years. Of the many books availible for reference or study, I must say that Practical forestry for it's price is extremely good. It is very comprehensive and contains all the detailed technical information you could need. Unfortunately this means that it can be a bit beguileing compared to books such as The Foresters Companion, which is very easy reading. Students will find however that the information in this book can be used to produce high grade work with some ease. Also, compared to books such as Modern Arboriculture.... Practical Forestry is of in my opinion, extremely good value.

Useful book, 01 Dec 2006
Written by an very experienced forester, this is a useful book, with plenty of good pratical advice covering all aspects of small woodland management. While I take his rather conventional approach to the subject with a pinch of salt (I much prefer Ben Law's "Woodland way"), it really should be on the bookshelf of every woodland owner.

This an excellent book, easy to read & full on information., 17 Oct 1998
This book goes a long way to help the average woodland owner, whether he/she be a professional or beginer, Looking to maintain and improve an existing woodland. Ken has taken his extensive knowledge and weaved an excellent manual which anyone will be able to understand & follow. This book is SIMPLY A JOY TO READ!

Wood Identification with Wings, 10 Oct 2001
This is a great book for all those interested in identifying timber. The pull out wings with actual samples of the wood differentiate this book from many of the others also available and make it a quick and effective guide.

The limitation with the book is that it only has samples of the 40 most utilised timbers and is therefore no good for the specialist.

Apart from the pull out section, the rest of the book is useful in timber identification techniques although it is fairly wordy with few pictures (all black and white).

This books gets 5 stars due to its innovative format and ease of use and I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in wood.

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

All you need to know, 25 Nov 2008
Fairly early on in my Forestry degree we discovered this book. It really does have the vast majority of everything you need to know to complete the course. It has become the first thing I suggest to anyone thinking of studying forestry. Highly recommended.

The core textbook for forestry , 21 May 2007
If you are studying forestry this book is a must-have.
The book covers just about every core area of study and is easy to read and sensibly structured.
Whilst no book will give you all the answers, this book is invaluable in giving a very good introduction and guiding you in further reading.


A very useful book for forestry students, 22 Jul 2004
I am a forestry student, and this book was a recommended textbook.
This book is very good. At first it seems expensive but once you flick though, you see that it contains a wealth of information on everything to do with forestry.
When researching for projects, this is often the last book you need to look at. If you can't find it anywhere else, then this encylopaedia of forestry probable has the answer. It also has some interesting photographs and tables.

A piece on the usefulnessand value of Practical Forestry, 28 Aug 1999
I am a student of Tree Management and Arboriculture, and due to this I have to submit several peices of forestry related work over a period of two years. Of the many books availible for reference or study, I must say that Practical forestry for it's price is extremely good. It is very comprehensive and contains all the detailed technical information you could need. Unfortunately this means that it can be a bit beguileing compared to books such as The Foresters Companion, which is very easy reading. Students will find however that the information in this book can be used to produce high grade work with some ease. Also, compared to books such as Modern Arboriculture.... Practical Forestry is of in my opinion, extremely good value.

Useful book, 01 Dec 2006
Written by an very experienced forester, this is a useful book, with plenty of good pratical advice covering all aspects of small woodland management. While I take his rather conventional approach to the subject with a pinch of salt (I much prefer Ben Law's "Woodland way"), it really should be on the bookshelf of every woodland owner.

This an excellent book, easy to read & full on information., 17 Oct 1998
This book goes a long way to help the average woodland owner, whether he/she be a professional or beginer, Looking to maintain and improve an existing woodland. Ken has taken his extensive knowledge and weaved an excellent manual which anyone will be able to understand & follow. This book is SIMPLY A JOY TO READ!

Wood Identification with Wings, 10 Oct 2001
This is a great book for all those interested in identifying timber. The pull out wings with actual samples of the wood differentiate this book from many of the others also available and make it a quick and effective guide.

The limitation with the book is that it only has samples of the 40 most utilised timbers and is therefore no good for the specialist.

Apart from the pull out section, the rest of the book is useful in timber identification techniques although it is fairly wordy with few pictures (all black and white).

This books gets 5 stars due to its innovative format and ease of use and I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in wood.

A mythic tree in the Canadian Galapagos, 12 Sep 2005
This entertaining narrative is about a mythic tree in the Canadian Galapagos. Author John Vaillant explains how the Golden Spruce and Grant Hadwin...the immensely talented but deeply troubled frontiersman who cut it down in an act of protest against over logging were...one in a billion.

Vaillant is a majestic writer. His historical description of Canada's Northwest Coastal forest in British Columbia is superb. The author carefully details how the Northwest forests support more living tissue, by weight, than an other eco system, including the Equatorial jungle. He also reports how the Queen Charlotte Islands were the historical territory of the Haida People, who call their home Haida Gwaii. The Haida People knew the Golden Spruce was exceptional and called it "K'iid K'iyaas" for the Elder Spruce Tree.

The woodcutter has been the point man for Western civilization. Some loggers are good, considerate road builders. Unfortunately, most loggers are extremely wasteful and rape the earth. Grant Hadwin was a rugged woodcutter and intelligent road builder who detested the giant corporations that destroyed vast forests with little concern for fundamental environmental considerations. Over time Hadwin leaves his wonderful family...becomes mentally unglued...and commits a great crime. Recommended.

Bert Ruiz

A wood that pays is a wood that stays, 30 Aug 2007
An excellent book for students and landowners, it starts with a brief history of woodland in Britain, followed by a chapter on tree biology and sylvicultural systems which is comprehensive and written in refreshingly plain english. The native and commonly used non-native trees are then detailed followed by how to draw up a management plan, essential if you want grant aid. Then the nitty-gritty of planting, protecting, measurement and marketing.

This is a very practical book on managing woodlands as a whole, very sensitive to their wildlife and landscape value but stressing that woodlands that pay are more likely to last.

A Starr read!, 29 Mar 2006
I found this book to be an insightful and stimulating guide to managing woodlands. The authour's writing style holds your attention and the information supplied is highly relevant and will be of value to a wide range of readers. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with a keen interest in purchasing or managing woodlands in the future.

Good Introduction, 07 Jan 2006
This book is an excellent introduction to Forest Management. It starts from the beginning, with no assumption of prior knowledge.

Ideal for potential forestry students as well as those with an interest in woodland.

Excellent field book for the serious tree pathologist, 25 Jul 2000
An updated edition containing new species of tree pathogens to the UK. It remains as ever the bible for foresters and arborists both undergraduate and graduate alike. Still the most practical and easily indentifiable way of diagnosing tree pathogens. The author remains insurpassable as ever.

All you need to know, 25 Nov 2008
Fairly early on in my Forestry degree we discovered this book. It really does have the vast majority of everything you need to know to complete the course. It has become the first thing I suggest to anyone thinking of studying forestry. Highly recommended.

The core textbook for forestry , 21 May 2007
If you are studying forestry this book is a must-have.
The book covers just about every core area of study and is easy to read and sensibly structured.
Whilst no book will give you all the answers, this book is invaluable in giving a very good introduction and guiding you in further reading.


A very useful book for forestry students, 22 Jul 2004
I am a forestry student, and this book was a recommended textbook.
This book is very good. At first it seems expensive but once you flick though, you see that it contains a wealth of information on everything to do with forestry.
When researching for projects, this is often the last book you need to look at. If you can't find it anywhere else, then this encylopaedia of forestry probable has the answer. It also has some interesting photographs and tables.

A piece on the usefulnessand value of Practical Forestry, 28 Aug 1999
I am a student of Tree Management and Arboriculture, and due to this I have to submit several peices of forestry related work over a period of two years. Of the many books availible for reference or study, I must say that Practical forestry for it's price is extremely good. It is very comprehensive and contains all the detailed technical information you could need. Unfortunately this means that it can be a bit beguileing compared to books such as The Foresters Companion, which is very easy reading. Students will find however that the information in this book can be used to produce high grade work with some ease. Also, compared to books such as Modern Arboriculture.... Practical Forestry is of in my opinion, extremely good value.

Useful book, 01 Dec 2006
Written by an very experienced forester, this is a useful book, with plenty of good pratical advice covering all aspects of small woodland management. While I take his rather conventional approach to the subject with a pinch of salt (I much prefer Ben Law's "Woodland way"), it really should be on the bookshelf of every woodland owner.

This an excellent book, easy to read & full on information., 17 Oct 1998
This book goes a long way to help the average woodland owner, whether he/she be a professional or beginer, Looking to maintain and improve an existing woodland. Ken has taken his extensive knowledge and weaved an excellent manual which anyone will be able to understand & follow. This book is SIMPLY A JOY TO READ!

Wood Identification with Wings, 10 Oct 2001
This is a great book for all those interested in identifying timber. The pull out wings with actual samples of the wood differentiate this book from many of the others also available and make it a quick and effective guide.

The limitation with the book is that it only has samples of the 40 most utilised timbers and is therefore no good for the specialist.

Apart from the pull out section, the rest of the book is useful in timber identification techniques although it is fairly wordy with few pictures (all black and white).

This books gets 5 stars due to its innovative format and ease of use and I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in wood.

A mythic tree in the Canadian Galapagos, 12 Sep 2005
This entertaining narrative is about a mythic tree in the Canadian Galapagos. Author John Vaillant explains how the Golden Spruce and Grant Hadwin...the immensely talented but deeply troubled frontiersman who cut it down in an act of protest against over logging were...one in a billion.

Vaillant is a majestic writer. His historical description of Canada's Northwest Coastal forest in British Columbia is superb. The author carefully details how the Northwest forests support more living tissue, by weight, than an other eco system, including the Equatorial jungle. He also reports how the Queen Charlotte Islands were the historical territory of the Haida People, who call their home Haida Gwaii. The Haida People knew the Golden Spruce was exceptional and called it "K'iid K'iyaas" for the Elder Spruce Tree.

The woodcutter has been the point man for Western civilization. Some loggers are good, considerate road builders. Unfortunately, most loggers are extremely wasteful and rape the earth. Grant Hadwin was a rugged woodcutter and intelligent road builder who detested the giant corporations that destroyed vast forests with little concern for fundamental environmental considerations. Over time Hadwin leaves his wonderful family...becomes mentally unglued...and commits a great crime. Recommended.

Bert Ruiz

Bugs, bark and battles, 14 Feb 2006
This engaging account sketches the investigation and quest for a cure for the "mal 'aria" of Rome. "Mal 'aria" was once thought to emanate from the "bad air" of swamps and marshes. Rocco, herself a victim of this dread illness, narrates its impact from ancient times into the modern world. When the death of a pope brought 55 cardinals to Rome to replace Gregory XV, 10 of them had contracted malaria within two weeks. Those who survived returning to Sees in European nations spread further a malady already prevalent in many nations as distant as the British Isles and Scandinavia. Even as the papal successor, who was also prostrated with chills and fever, struggled to survive the infection, some of his minions were advocating a likely cure against great skepticism.

Jesuit missionaries in the New World discovered Native Americans using a powdered tree bark to treat fevers and "agues". Sending the powder back to Catholic Europe introduced the first therapy for malaria, probably just as these same interlopers were infesting the Western Hemisphere with the parasite. Cinchona powder, diluted in wine to cover its bitterness, verged on the miraculous. As Rocco describes its effect, she also recounts the resistance to the "Jesuit powder" in Protestant Europe, particularly Britain. Lack of enthusiasm, plus military ineptness, led to a malarial onslaught in 1808, when an English attempt to invade Napoleon's empire ended in disaster.

Empire, war and malaria remained in close company throughout the 19th Century. British incursions into west Africa were stalled by the infection. At one point the medical records indicated more cases of malaria than there were settlers - due to repeat hospital patients. Even against this severity, progress was being made. It's said "there's always one" and Rocco shows how one dedicated man made an immense difference. On a voyage up the Niger, Baikie imposed a strict daily regimen of quinine dosage. One of his crew was murdered and one drowned - but none were lost to malaria.

Returning to the Western Hemisphere, Rocco describes the inept handling of fevers by the in the American Civil War. Vicksburg, she asserts, failed to be taken due to the Union's lack of quinine for its troops investing the city. Even greater disaster awaited the French in their attempt to link the Atlantic and Pacific with a Panama Canal. Instead of treating the workers, the French merely hid the casualty list and hired replacements. Even as late as World War II, battlegrounds in the Pacific highlighted the need for plentiful supplies of quinine. By that time, however, some synthetics had been developed. Malaria, however, is neither easily diagnosed nor treated. Rocco notes that there are several versions of the illness, and many varieties of cinchona. Matching them takes skill.

At the end of the 19th Century, malaria had been identified as a parasite, not the effusion of swampy fumes. Rocco describes the labours of British Army doctor Ronald Ross, who laboured under appalling conditions in India. He traced the course of the parasite, in part by dissecting mosquitoes with a razor blade! This new understanding led to more directed treatment, and, ultimately, a Nobel Prize for Ross. Rocco's diagram of the life cycle of the parasite suggests the complexity of the problem of diagnosis and therapy.

Rocco concludes with a reminder that malaria identified is not malaria eliminated. It kills millions of children every year and prostrates whole communities. South American forests were denuded by exploiters seeking the bark. The synthetics developed proved a temporary solution since the parasite appears to have evolved resistance to them. Today's chief source of natural quinine is a threatened forest in war-torn central Africa. She describes the travails of a firm struggling to maintain supply. The picture would be encouraging if the firm obtained support from industrial nations. That hasn't been forthcoming.

Rocco's opening sentence, "My grandparents had been married for many years when they left Europe for Africa - although not to each other" sets the tone of this book. Her personalised narrative form skips the use of footnotes, but there are Notes on Sources and a Further Reading list. A collection of photos and maps adds reference. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

The Miraculous Fever-tree., 27 May 2004
I bought this book last week to give as a birthday present; usually I hold back and borrow a gift book back it has been given. However, I started reading this on the bus on the way home, and found it so fascinating that I just had to finish reading it before it was time to send it on. Ranging from Italy and papal elections through a Napoleonic battle, a failed attempt at building the Panama Canal and the colonisation of America, there are so many interesting and unusual stories that I will be buying another copy of the book to keep. There were a good number of black & white photgraphic illustrations, although for me they didn't add a whole lot to the text. The only problem I found was that the author tended to move back and forward a lot in time, so we might read of something happening in Peru, and then suddenly we have jumped ahead or back by as much as fifty years in time. Apart from that, it was a very informative and enjoyable book, full of memorable anecdotes and easy to read; not at all a bitter dose like the early medicines! It's given a personal dimension by the fact that the author's family lived in Africa for 3 generations, so she has personal experience of the real impact of malaria, and quinine in its treatment.

Bugs Drugs and Heroes, 08 Aug 2003
A more than proficient medical history that evokes the nature of infectious disease. Somewhat undervalues the value of Artemeter but excellent no the less.