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Library Journal
Reviewed on February 15, 2008
The American chestnut tree was once king of the forest. Its range stretched nearly the length of the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Georgia, and as far west as the Ohio Valley. Central to human economies, it also played a key role in the hardwood ecosystem. And then, in the late 1800s, an imported Asian fungus quickly killed a staggering 99.9 percent of the species; by 1950, only 50 to 100 trees remained of the estimated original four billion. Restoration attempts continue. Curiously, outside of the scientific literature, this sad, powerful story of death and rebirth has rarely been told, but two new titles fill the gap wonderfully. Science journalist Freinkel's compact, entertaining history of the tree's demise and the many attempts to bring it back reads smoothly, like a well-writ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More




