Countryside History
The Life and Legacy of Oliver Rackham
Published on 18. June 2024
Book
Hardback
438 pages
978-1-78427-316-3 (ISBN)
Description
Like one of the ancient trees he wrote about so elegantly and perceptively, Oliver Rackham's roots run deep while his influence branches far. He was undoubtedly the leading scholar in landscape history and historical ecology, and his work continues to resonate not just with his peers but with a much wider public audience too. His combination of extensive archival research, meticulous fieldwork and place-name analysis were truly ground-breaking. He not only changed the way we think about the landscape; he in fact altered that landscape in turn - enriching, clarifying, bringing it to life.
This book, which honours Rackham's memory, is a unique collection of contributions from leading global authorities on countryside and landscape history. A number of chapters come from individuals who were his friends and collaborators, and they each share a debt to his scholarship and methods. Ranging all over Europe from Bialowieza Forest in Poland to the Mediterranean, and across the world from New England to northern Japan, the wealth of perspectives gathered here makes for a diverse and weighty discussion.
Collectively, the contributions represent an acknowledgment of Rackham's huge impact and influence at the same time as offering a benchmark for current thinking in countryside history worldwide. This volume will appeal to researchers, postgraduate students, final-year undergraduates, lecturers and scholars on the one hand, but also to anyone who loves the countryside and is fascinated by its complex history. As we lose irreplaceable heritage landscapes to climate change and development, an understanding of what they are and what they mean only becomes more vital.
This book, which honours Rackham's memory, is a unique collection of contributions from leading global authorities on countryside and landscape history. A number of chapters come from individuals who were his friends and collaborators, and they each share a debt to his scholarship and methods. Ranging all over Europe from Bialowieza Forest in Poland to the Mediterranean, and across the world from New England to northern Japan, the wealth of perspectives gathered here makes for a diverse and weighty discussion.
Collectively, the contributions represent an acknowledgment of Rackham's huge impact and influence at the same time as offering a benchmark for current thinking in countryside history worldwide. This volume will appeal to researchers, postgraduate students, final-year undergraduates, lecturers and scholars on the one hand, but also to anyone who loves the countryside and is fascinated by its complex history. As we lose irreplaceable heritage landscapes to climate change and development, an understanding of what they are and what they mean only becomes more vital.
Reviews / Votes
Iconoclastic, Indomitable, Indefatigable, above all Investigatory - Oliver Rackham had all these "Is" in spades! This book is a genuine homage... all the chapters celebrate Rackham but are also a feast of information on the history of forests and woodlands... if you are not familiar with Rackham's work, become so - and this book is the best way to get acquainted! -- Peter Bridgewater * The Niche * I regard Countryside History as a pinnacle in my ECOS reviewing experience... the present volume is a scholarly labour of love, not just by the editors but also by its many contributors. -- Janet Mackinnon * ECOS * Inspirational and educational... Such an invaluable achievement. -- Rob Jarman * Landscape History * Countryside History is an indispensable addition to any library purporting to cover historical ecology or landscape history. -- David Jacques * Garden History * Countryside History is carefully edited to ensure uniformly high quality, with chapters well grounded in the academic research of the contributors. While it will appeal mostly to academics, it is certainly accessible to general readers interested in the historical and ecological dynamics of rural landscapes... the book is magnificently produced, with many high-quality images, so much so that on occasion they distracted me from the text. -- Jaboury Ghazoul * Scottish Forestry * Rackham can be seen as one of the greatest ecologists of the late 20th century. This fascinating text reflects the person, his interests, and demonstrates how one person can shape the trajectory of research. -- Paul Ganderton * The Niche Bookworm * Full of fascinating detail and richly rewarding. -- Jonathan Spencer * Quarterly Journal of Forestry *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Exeter
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
21 Diagrams; 31 Maps; 10 Illustrations, black and white; 150 Illustrations, color
Dimensions
Height: 250 mm
Width: 175 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
1258 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78427-316-3 (9781784273163)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2024
Pelagic Publishing
€73.99
Available for download
Persons
Ian D. Rotherham is Emeritus Professor at the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK. He is an authority on landscape history and particularly on the history, heritage and ecology of woodlands and peatlands. He has published widely, including over 500 academic research papers, around 50 books and many hundreds of popular articles. He is co-editor (with Alper H. Colak and Simay Kirca) of Ancient Woods, Trees and Forests: Ecology, History and Management.
Jennifer A. Moody is an Aegean archaeologist at the University of Texas, Austin, specializing in landscape and paleo-climate reconstruction and ceramic fabric analysis. She is an advocate for landscape conservation and the preservation of cultural heritage in Greece and elsewhere. She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called genius grant, for her research on the intersection of changes in climate, culture and landscape on the island of Crete, Greece. She has directed four archaeological surveys on the island and consulted for many more. She has worked on Crete for over 40 years, and collaborated there with Oliver Rackham for 32 years. She and Oliver Rackham co-authored The Making of the Cretan Landscape, for which they won the Runciman prize.
Jennifer A. Moody is an Aegean archaeologist at the University of Texas, Austin, specializing in landscape and paleo-climate reconstruction and ceramic fabric analysis. She is an advocate for landscape conservation and the preservation of cultural heritage in Greece and elsewhere. She was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, the so-called genius grant, for her research on the intersection of changes in climate, culture and landscape on the island of Crete, Greece. She has directed four archaeological surveys on the island and consulted for many more. She has worked on Crete for over 40 years, and collaborated there with Oliver Rackham for 32 years. She and Oliver Rackham co-authored The Making of the Cretan Landscape, for which they won the Runciman prize.
Content
Foreword by Peter Grubb
Information on Contributors
Introduction: An Overview of the work and influences of Oliver Rackham Ian D. Rotherham and Jennifer A. Moody
PART I: WOODLAND STUDIES IN ENGLAND
1. Concepts of Ancient Woodland George Peterken
2. The Influence of Oliver Rackham in our Understanding of Wooded Landscapes Della Hooke
3. How the Wildwood Worked: Rackham's Contribution to Forest Ecology Adrian C. Newton
4. Stability and Change in Woodland Ground Flora Keith Kirby
5. Echoes of the Wildwood? Investigating the Historical Ecology of some Warwickshire Lime Woodlands 1986-2000 David R. Morfitt
PART II: EUROPEAN STUDIES
6. On the Shoulders of Oliver Rackham Frans Vera
7. Forest History versus Pseudo-History: The Relevance of Oliver Rackham's Concepts in the Conservation of Bialowieza: a Primeval Forest Tomasz Samojlik, Piotr Daszkiewicz and Aurika Ric?kiene?
8. Old-Growth Forests in the Eastern Alps: Management and Protection Elisabeth Johann
9. Biocultural Landscapes of Europe: A Journey with Oliver Rackham Gloria Pungetti
PART III: MEDITERRANEAN STUDIES
10. Trees Grow Again: Greece and the Mediterranean in Oliver Rackham's Publications J. Donald Hughes
11. Friend or Foe? Oak Agroforestry Systems in the Mediterranean and the Role of Grazing Thanasis Kizos
12. The Irreplaceable Trees of Crete Jennifer A. Moody
13. Walking in Sacred Forests with Oliver Rackham: A Conversation about Relict Landscapes in Epirus, North-West Greece Rigas Tsiakiris, Kalliopi Stara, Valentino Marini Govigli and Jennifer L.G. Wong
14. Historical Ecology and the History of 'Individual Landscapes': Oliver Rackham's Field Visits to Liguria (North-West Italy) Roberta Cevasco, Diego Moreno and Charles Watkins
PART IV: APPROACHES TO COUNTRYSIDE RESEARCH
15. Oliver Rackham, Archives and Ancient Woodland Research Melvyn Jones
16. From Household Equipment to Countryside in Eleventh-Century Bavaria Richard Hoffmann
17. It's a Fair Coppice: Methodological Considerations of the History of Woodland Management Peter Szabo
18. Oliver Rackham and Shadow Woods Ian D. Rotherham
19. Oliver Rackham and the Archaeology of Ancient Woods of Norfolk Tom Williamson
PART V: WIDER PERSPECTIVES
20. Reflections from the Antipodes Paul Adam
21. Managing Pollards and the Last Forest Vikki Bengtsson
22. The Value and Meaning of Traditional Natural Resource Use Systems in Satoyama Landscapes in Japan Katsue Fukamachi
23. Pollard Beech Trees in Snowy Areas of Japan Tohru Nakashizuka, Hideo Miguchi and Tomohiko Kamitani
24. So Human a Landscape: Oliver Rackham's Influence on a New England Ecologist Henry W. Art
PART VI: LEGACY, ARCHIVE, AND PUBLICATIONS
25. Conclusions: The Legacy of Oliver Rackham Jennifer A. Moody and Ian D. Rotherham
An Oliver Rackham Bibliography
Index
Information on Contributors
Introduction: An Overview of the work and influences of Oliver Rackham Ian D. Rotherham and Jennifer A. Moody
PART I: WOODLAND STUDIES IN ENGLAND
1. Concepts of Ancient Woodland George Peterken
2. The Influence of Oliver Rackham in our Understanding of Wooded Landscapes Della Hooke
3. How the Wildwood Worked: Rackham's Contribution to Forest Ecology Adrian C. Newton
4. Stability and Change in Woodland Ground Flora Keith Kirby
5. Echoes of the Wildwood? Investigating the Historical Ecology of some Warwickshire Lime Woodlands 1986-2000 David R. Morfitt
PART II: EUROPEAN STUDIES
6. On the Shoulders of Oliver Rackham Frans Vera
7. Forest History versus Pseudo-History: The Relevance of Oliver Rackham's Concepts in the Conservation of Bialowieza: a Primeval Forest Tomasz Samojlik, Piotr Daszkiewicz and Aurika Ric?kiene?
8. Old-Growth Forests in the Eastern Alps: Management and Protection Elisabeth Johann
9. Biocultural Landscapes of Europe: A Journey with Oliver Rackham Gloria Pungetti
PART III: MEDITERRANEAN STUDIES
10. Trees Grow Again: Greece and the Mediterranean in Oliver Rackham's Publications J. Donald Hughes
11. Friend or Foe? Oak Agroforestry Systems in the Mediterranean and the Role of Grazing Thanasis Kizos
12. The Irreplaceable Trees of Crete Jennifer A. Moody
13. Walking in Sacred Forests with Oliver Rackham: A Conversation about Relict Landscapes in Epirus, North-West Greece Rigas Tsiakiris, Kalliopi Stara, Valentino Marini Govigli and Jennifer L.G. Wong
14. Historical Ecology and the History of 'Individual Landscapes': Oliver Rackham's Field Visits to Liguria (North-West Italy) Roberta Cevasco, Diego Moreno and Charles Watkins
PART IV: APPROACHES TO COUNTRYSIDE RESEARCH
15. Oliver Rackham, Archives and Ancient Woodland Research Melvyn Jones
16. From Household Equipment to Countryside in Eleventh-Century Bavaria Richard Hoffmann
17. It's a Fair Coppice: Methodological Considerations of the History of Woodland Management Peter Szabo
18. Oliver Rackham and Shadow Woods Ian D. Rotherham
19. Oliver Rackham and the Archaeology of Ancient Woods of Norfolk Tom Williamson
PART V: WIDER PERSPECTIVES
20. Reflections from the Antipodes Paul Adam
21. Managing Pollards and the Last Forest Vikki Bengtsson
22. The Value and Meaning of Traditional Natural Resource Use Systems in Satoyama Landscapes in Japan Katsue Fukamachi
23. Pollard Beech Trees in Snowy Areas of Japan Tohru Nakashizuka, Hideo Miguchi and Tomohiko Kamitani
24. So Human a Landscape: Oliver Rackham's Influence on a New England Ecologist Henry W. Art
PART VI: LEGACY, ARCHIVE, AND PUBLICATIONS
25. Conclusions: The Legacy of Oliver Rackham Jennifer A. Moody and Ian D. Rotherham
An Oliver Rackham Bibliography
Index