Urban Forests: A Natural History of Trees and People in the American Cityscape

I bought it for the subject matter, expecting a scholarly tome that would inform and I would tolerate the boredom. What a surprise, it reads like a novel packed with information and charming in bringing to life the history of urban forests in America. Filled with anecdotal and "gossipy" tidbits. And yet....an enjoyable read

Very good book. I found particularly illuminating the chapters on the epidemics that impacted chestnut and elm trees. Excellent discussion

This book is a fascinating account of how this nation’s urban forests have been developed. Not only is this a comprehensive history of which trees came to be in our cities, but it also taught me about the pioneering individuals who fought and cared for trees and did their best to combat the diseases and pests that were responsible for eradicating beloved species such as American chestnuts and elms. It is comprehensive, so tree lovers will be delighted, but readers more indifferent to urban trees may want to skim the book.

This is a well-written and informative book. I enjoyed learning how the urban forest was transformed throughout history; the author brings up key players numerous times to tell the story of trees in American cities. I'm a forester and love trees, so buying this book was a bit of a no-brainer for me, but my studies and experience have focused on America's larger wooded tracts, not their urban counterparts. It was refreshing to read about this history of trees in a totally different environment from the one I'm familiar with - and one I hope to continue exploring through books like this.

A great book for tree lovers and tree nerds. Despite the title, the suburbs also get covered because it's really about the history of tree appreciation, cultivation, and preservation from foes (insect, microbial or human) in the U.S. Now that I've read this, I have a much greater appreciation for the attributes of different species of trees. As with a lot of history, there is so much that you take for granted. One thing worth noting: Jonnes really captures the spirit of the time periods covered. For example, in the 19th century, you get a feel for the spirit of adventure as people traveled far to find unique species. You also get the can-do spirit that drove the large tree-planting campaigns of the early 20th century. And you get the blow-by-blow of the fight against the Dutch elm disease, the Asian long-horned beetle, and the latest Emerald Ash Borer. Full-disclosure, I bought this book because I'm a Tree Keeper in Baltimore and Jill Jonnes co-founded Baltimore Tree Trust (in part inspired by her work on this book), so I went to hear her book presentation, but I'd only met her a couple of times. I was happy to discover that Jonnes writing is engaging and now I'm interested in reading some of her other non-tree books.

Absolutely fascinating book. A slow read because there is so.much information to absorb.Definitely worth the purchase .

Maybe I'm being very picky, or else my eyesight is failing, but I found the type in this book to be so small and condensed that it was unpleasant to read. So I ordered the Kindle version, which perhaps I should be doing anyway.

A very in depth history of how trees have been important in different times. And how Arber day came about. But mostly why we real need them.