The History Trees

The ultimate photographic collection of the most historic trees on the planet.

Uncover remarkable trees from around the world, many of which have borne witness to key moments in history or reached a scale and age that have allowed them to become a part of history themselves.

First meet 'Methuselah’, a bristlecone pine in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, believed to be 4,900 years old. Learn about other trees which have inspired great events, such as the Isaac Newton apple tree in Woolhope, Lincolnshire, where the scientist observed the famous apple falling from a tree (which still stands in the family garden). Other flora has withstood historic events such as in Japan, where the Hibaku jumoku still grows as a survivor tree from the Hiroshima bombing or the 9/11 Survivor Tree in New York City.

Many trees continue to inspire our world today including the long avenue of beech trees in Northern Ireland known as the Dark Hedges which Game of Thrones fans will instantly recognise as the road to Kings Landing, the Robin Hood’s oak in the Sherwood Forest or the J. R. R. Tolkien trees in Avebury, which inspired the Ents in The Lord of the Rings.

Rest a while beside the oldest trunks and witness the enthralling stories nestled within the branches of these gentle giants.

Reviews

As featured in The Times article ‘Britain’s Most Historic Trees', 2025

“[A] rich history … it contains some of the most extraordinary tales of trees through time” — The Sunday Post

“This is a great deal more than a coffee-table book… A fascinating book for historians and natural historians alike.” — The Field

About the author

Colin Salter is a prolific author of books on both history and nature. He recently completed a trilogy of travel books – Remarkable Road Trips, Remarkable Bicycle Rides and Remarkable Treks describing itineraries through historic natural landscapes. He has contributed to academic volumes on tree leaves and sea shells and wrote the trilogy Science Is Beautiful about microscopic images of plants, medicines, diseases and the human body. His series of books about iconic texts which changed world history includes 100 Novels, 100 Speeches, 100 Letters, 100 Posters, 100 Children's Books and, coming soon 100 Diaries.