This study investigates the historical relationship between timber resource management and the development of civilizations in the ancient Mediterranean. Russell Meiggs, a distinguished historian of the classical world, synthesizes a vast array of literary, epigraphic, and archaeological evidence to reconstruct the economic and environmental landscape of the Near East, Greece, and Rome. He challenges prevailing narratives regarding the extent of human-induced deforestation, proposing a more nuanced understanding of how ancient societies balanced resource consumption with available supply.

Scholars and historians regard this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of environmental history and classical economics. Readers frequently note the meticulous detail and the author's ability to synthesize disparate sources into a coherent historical argument.