A rich and replenishing work that traces the roots, seeds, and cuttings of our modern sensibilities, weaving together the story of seven species to show us what was lost and what might be regained, and to remind us that before land became mere property, it was earth, life, livelihood, commons, and creation. I felt lovesick for it after it was done. -- ELEANOR CATTON I really loved this book. It's full of longing and nostalgia, but there's a clear-sightedness here too, an acknowledgement of modernity's gifts as well as its losses. Vanishing Landscapes conveys a delicate, informed state of enchantment - as much celebration as elegy. It's a bittersweet love letter to what we have lost, and what exists around us in the here and now. -- JENN ASHWORTH Vanishing Landscapes offers a unique interweaving of insights about culture, cult and cultivation. From the history of cider apples and the deforestation caused by early modern warfare to the impact of republicanism on wine-drinking, this is a brilliantly ambitious and authentic cultural history. A real treasure. -- ROWAN WILLIAMS, former Archbishop of Canterbury Such a clever construct using seven plants to embody a story that crosses counties, countries, and centuries. We witness, with great dramatic effect, the impacts of big political decisions being played out at a local level in the lives of ordinary people. When I read this, I began to realise that I'd known only half a narrative, and this fills in so many gaps in my understanding. -- Derek Niemann
