The Wood tells of Collis' time in the Land Army during the second world war. He thinned and cleared an ash wood, by himself and using hand-tools. He found he loved the work and is eager to share his experiences and revelations with the reader. He tells of the pleasure of sitting in the sun, the satisfaction of a physical job outside and he talks of trees as 'tangible pieces of sunshine' in that they convert sunlight into growth. His musings still resonate all these years later.
The book is written beautifully, the words don't get in the way of what he is saying and he is constantly aware of a 'reader'. We feel as if Collis is chatting to us, as he would in a pub or over a meal. It is a quiet joy of a book.
