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The Man Who Climbs Trees: The Lofty Adventures of a Wildlife Cameraman Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 176 ratings
4.2 on Goodreads
520 ratings

“[A] white-knuckled adventure through some of the most spectacular forests in the world.”—The Washington Post 

Every child knows the allure of climbing trees. But how many of us get to make a living at it, spending days observing nature from the canopies of stunning forests all around the world? As a wildlife cameraman for the BBC and National Geographic, James Aldred spends his working life high up in trees, poised to capture key moments in the lives of wild animals and birds.

Aldred’s climbs take him to the most incredible and majestic trees in existence. In Borneo, home to the tallest tropical rain forest on the planet, just getting a rope up into the 250-foot-tall trees is a challenge. In Venezuela, even body armor isn’t guaranteed protection against the razor-sharp talons of a nesting Harpy Eagle. In Australia, the peace of being lulled to sleep in a hammock twenty-five stories above the ground— after a grueling day of climbing and filming—is broken by a midnight storm that threatens to topple the tree. In this vivid account of memorable trees he has climbed (“Goliath,” “Apollo,” “Roaring Meg”), Aldred blends incredible stories of his adventures in the branches with a fascination for the majesty of trees to show us the joy of rising—literally—above the daily grind.

“An addictive book for nature lovers.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A book of heart-stopping bravery and endurance, packed with astonishing—and sometimes gruesome—encounters with wild creatures. James Aldred is an old-school hero, and his thrilling recollections of a life of adventure driven by a love for trees will give you new reverence for the beauties and mysteries of the natural world.”—Helen MacDonald, author of H Is for Hawk
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Review

“A vertiginous, white-knuckled adventure through some of the most spectacular forests in the world.” Washington Post   “Truly, Aldred offers a feast for the imagination, one that will draw you back to the landscapes that you’ve loved and pull you forward toward new ones. This wide-ranging and beautiful book, brought to life with expertise, affection and respect, is not to be missed.” BookPageThe Man Who Climbs Trees is a book of heart-stopping bravery and endurance, packed with astonishing—and sometimes gruesome—encounters with wild creatures. James Aldred is an old-school hero, and his thrilling recollections of a life of adventure driven by a love for trees will give you new reverence for the beauties and mysteries of the natural world.” —Helen MacDonald, author of H Is for Hawk “The giant trees, described by James Aldred, are full of wonder, and his fascinating book is a story of real adventure.”— Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of Trees "Passionate and courageous, in his masterpiece of a memoir, The Man Who Climbs Trees, James Aldred reminds us that the sweet green world around us is as alive as any creature—and trees are wondrous individuals with deep truths to tell. This is a book filled with beauty, suspense and revelation. I loved it!" — Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus "James Aldred is the ideal guide to the unexplored realm hovering just over our heads—the world of the forest canopy. His writing is vivid, a feast for the senses. Even under assault by bugs and birds, Aldred remains imbued with an irresistible sense of awe for this aerial wonderland that few of us will ever see." — Michael Finkel, author of The Stranger in the Woods “A great read—incredible adventures and a dramatic new perspective from the arms of the world’s giants.” —Chris Packham, author of Fingers in the Sparkle Jar “To leave the dank darkness of the jungle floor and travel up to the sunlight of the forest canopy is probably the natural world’s most exciting revelation. James Aldred’s wonderful book is as close as you will ever get to that experience, without risking the climb for yourself.” —Alastair Fothergill, producer of The Blue Planet, Planet Earth, and Frozen Planet “A heady blend of daredevil ascents with a reflective wonder at the beauty of these living climbing frames.” —Derek Niemann, nature writer and journalist

About the Author

JAMES ALDRED grew up on the edge of a forest and spent his teenage years exploring it. By fourteen he was building forest shelters and sleeping rough in the woods. By sixteen he was spending much of his time up in the branches. These days, when he’s not filming in far-flung countries, he lives in the west country of the UK with his wife and children.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0742ZWZY9
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Illustrated edition (May 22 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 20.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 278 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 176 ratings

About the author

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James Aldred
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James is an EMMY winning freelance cameraman who's love of nature writing was born of travelling the globe to film wildlife for the BBC and National Geographic. James specialises in filming at height in the rainforest canopy, and his work has been featured in numerous award-winning natural history programmes over the past 25 years. Productions like Planet Earth, Our Planet, Life of Mammals, The Green Planet and Life of Mammals.

Fascinated by nature from a young age, James grew up in the New Forest in Southern England - a magical place of ancient beauty. It had a massive influence on him as a child, and still does as an adult. As a keen climber and wildlife photographer James became obsessed with exploring the forest canopy and those formative childhood years defined his future choice of career as a wildlife cameraman. They also taught him rope work, persistence and how to be patient.

In the late nineties James was given his first full-time job as an assistant on a Hollywood production in Morocco, where he lived for two years. He was then invited back to England to work at Shepperton Studios but was missing nature too much so headed to Bristol to enter the world of natural history film-making. He got his first break with the BBC in 1998 when they sent him to film in the rainforest canopy of Borneo. Since then he's been lucky to film in 60+ countries and spend months on end working in remote tropical rainforests. Highs include filming the rare Philippine Eagle at its nest in the wild. Lows include a dose of cerebral malaria and African civil war.

His first book - 'The Man Who Climbs Trees' (Penguin 2017) - describes his personal journey up into the trees. Each chapter focusses on a different canopy filming experience over the past 30 years. It has been translated into several languages and been published worldwide.

His latest book - 'Goshawk Summer' (Elliott and Thompson 2021) - describes his experience filming these most elusive of raptors in the New forest during the pandemic of 2020. It is written in a nature-diary format and has been longlisted for the nature writing Wainwright Prize 2022.

James lives in England's west-country and always keeps a travel journal whilst filming. He believes that time spent outdoors immersed in nature is never wasted.

"Sit Still, Look Long and Hold Yourself Quiet"

Visit: www.jamesaldred.com

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
176 global ratings

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Top reviews from Canada

  • Reviewed in Canada on July 30, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    This book is the true story of a man who spends most of his time in the tops of trees. His worldview is from the top canopy of trees! He gives a lot of detail if the reader is interested in how he gets up those trees. He talks about the tallest trees in the world (which have names...something I did not know!) and about very specialized and different types of trees in different parts of the world. Its a wonderful uplifting read. For those that love trees and nature this is a book for you!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in Canada on November 20, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Received on time and as advertised.
  • Reviewed in Canada on May 26, 2020
    Beautifully descriptive writing transports you into the trees with Aldred. Whether he’s dripping with sweat in the jungle, admiring or trying to evade wildlife or experiencing a totally zen moment of peace and serenity a couple of hundred feet off the ground - you are there. This would be particularly wonderful to read on a camping trip, if you are so inclined that way. Personally, I hate camping, but I loved this book! It’s such a fascinating account about turning a passion for nature and climbing trees into a career. Once I started reading, I found myself thinking, of course, why had I never thought about who sets up many of the dramatic photos I love in National Geographic or documentaries, and how they do it. Although I’m usually far more comfortable in a super busy, dense city environment, it was the perfect book to mentally escape from the 8th week of lock down during the Covid 19 pandemic. I think the best way to describe this book is that it is alternately a page turner and the ultimate soothing balm.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in Canada on July 18, 2020
    I love feeling like I am accompanying a writer in their story. This has been a fun adventure for me. He makes me feel I am in the treetops with him as he as he describes the birds, the animals, the insects he sees...150+ feet below. His words would be good if there were no camera! I enjoy this book very much. Thank you James Aldred.

Top reviews from other countries

  • Rebecca
    5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who likes trees MUST read this!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I LOVED this book! It is absolutely captivating, well written and for those who are busy and tend to lay books down for a few days between readings, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU! Every chapter is independent of the others! The author writes in a way that we are RIGHT THERE and oh my my - there is LOTS of excitement!
    I have sent many copies as gifts.
  • P.J. Murray
    5.0 out of 5 stars natural world
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Goshawk Summer was brilliant, this is equally good.
  • Mazmataz
    5.0 out of 5 stars An unexpected page turner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Sometimes books of this nature can be a bit of a slog to get through with a few interesting bits to make it worthwhile. This was the opposite - a total page-turner. James' adventures up in trees across the world have been a totally wild ride. His writing style is really engaging and his life has been incredible. It really got me itching to go travelling again (only without any of the itchy stuff that he encountered!).
  • Chark
    5.0 out of 5 stars What a great read!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. A page-turner. Fascinating treks into forest and jungle with a guy who knows how to articulate his love of his chosen career.
  • richard wickens
    4.0 out of 5 stars The author's profession is one that is rare, dangerous and fascinating.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I can't say there was anything to dislike about this book. The author's introduction as a 16 year old to tree climbing in the New Forest and then progressing to adventures in exotic locations around the world spiced with danger are enthralling. The author not only succeeds in conveying his enthusiasm for his profession but he also writes with a genuine feel for words.

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