This is a book about forests; forest nature, species diversity and people; about the span from the millimetric perspective of an insect’s short life – lived in its entirety beneath a scrap of bark – to the miles-wide expanses of sylvan landscapes where our exploitation of forests has shaped cultures and societies over hundreds of years. It is a book about surprising interactions and strange species, a book about how knowledge about nature and views of nature have changed over the generations. About where we come from and where we stand today. By weaving together ecology, history, politics and culture into an overarching narrative, the book offers readers an insight into a profoundly fascinating ecosystem, and give them a basis for understanding the role forests play in today’s nature and climate crisis.