Wood, earth and fire are, respectively, the media through which three exciting new books about London’s history are narrated. In The Wood that Built London (Sandstone Press, £19.99; Tablet price £17.99) C. J. Schüler gathers together scattered texts and wanders through the fragments of a forgotten forest, retracing the boundaries of the Great North Wood that once covered a large part of what is now South London. A gentle and beautifully produced book, well supplied with pictures, maps and drawings (definitely a candidate for Christmas presents), it skilfully alternates between pastoral and archival archaeology. Gradually a complete, elegant portrait of the old forest emerges and how it helped build London, and the navy that defended it.