Description

Deep in Tasmania’s remote valleys and mountains grow trees whose direct ancestors lived with dinosaurs. Many are thousands of years old, some over ten millennia. Prize-winning nature writer Andrew Darby takes us on an island odyssey to discover these ancient survivors: the mysterious King’s Lomatia, perhaps the oldest single tree alive; the primeval King Billy, Pencil and Huon pines with their stories of human admiration and destruction; and the majestic giant eucalypts. He shares tales of the scientists and nature-lovers who identified these ancients and now work to protect them from climate change and fire, offering hope for their future.

Publisher Review

The quiet magnificence of nature is reflected in the lyrical elegance of Darby’s prose. * Jonathan Green, ABC Radio’s Blueprint for Living * The Ancients will be relished by anyone who cares about the extraordinary island of Tasmania * Nicholas Shakespeare, novelist and biographer * A thrilling reminder of our good fortune in having these living monuments of deep time on our doorstep * Sydney Morning Herald * The Ancients threads together colonial history, personal reflections and conservation campaigns to deepen our appreciation of our “ancient” backyard. Darby’s experiences communing alone with these colossal beings often provide the book’s most enriching education on the sheer force of these wild elders. * Saturday Paper *