Tony Kirkham ex-Kew, says in the foreword that this book will raise awareness of challenges around the natural world.
The book has more than 300 entries and is a real doorstopper, weighing in at 5lb. The pictures are a lot bigger than the writing, taking up more than 3/4 of each page, in the style of Phaidon's landmark 1999 The Art Book.
Each page has a three-quarter length picture and a description. From Romans to Monet to Hockney, via Dr Seuss, Kahlo, Grant Associates and Van Gogh. this is an eclectic book to dip into, full of diversions and beauty.
From prints to botanical art, paintings to photos, trees are depicted in a variety of ways and different aspects of arboriculture are highlighted in many entries, for instance in a black and white photo showing crown shyness.
The book is more art than arb, and more coffee table than academic and as such makes the ideal gift for the nature-loving aesthete to dip into.
This is the 10th title in Phaidon's Explorer series, with Plant, Flower and Garden among predecessors, and is an essential addition to the group.
