PRAISE FOR A BRANCH FROM THE LIGHTNING TREE 
Eloquent and elegant, Shaw offers an irresistible invitation to “dive down the rabbit hole” into realms that hold the wisdom of, not only survival, but expanding into one’s sense of purpose, maturing into the gift of service to the collective.  MALIDOMA SOME, Elder, author of ‘Of Water and the Spirit’ 

Martin Shaw presides over an astonishing flow of language, which brings much reading with it, and a great deal of time in tbe wilderness. His prose reaches into the high old areas Joseph Campbell used to do his arm-wrestling in, and many of his leaps are absolutely superb. He is writing about experiencing ancient myths in a new way, and he does it elegantly. As a storyteller he moves very surely, encouraging professors teeth to fall out and the teeth of the young to grow.  ROBERT BLY, Poet Laureate, author of ‘Iron John’ and ‘The Sibling Society’ 

This extraordinary book, woven with insight and magic reveals the rich alchemy between myth and rites-of-passage. He opens up the pan-cultural nature of this inter-relationship whilst creating a solid foundation of intruiging wisdom to guide us through the challenges of the modern world. And how I love the intelligent, poetic and wild way of his voice.  MERIDITH LITTLE, Co-author of ‘The Book of the Vision Quest’ and Director of the School of Lost Borders. 

This is visceral and highly imaginative writing. Shaw links wildness in language and landscape with myth as a briedge between the two. He writes with a poetic flair that gives the book mystery, fire and purpose. His work around longing is particulally impressive. This needs to be read!  ROSIE BOYCOTT, The Independent, Chair of the Samuel Johnson award for non-fiction. 

Shaw has so much knowledge and wisdom about the old stories it eminates from his pores. He knows about the mythic trap of ‘eternal youth’ that is the shadow of rock’n’roll. He knows why Jim Morrison went down. His  prose is voracious-it will gobble up the readers psyche and challenge it to change. JOHN DENSMORE, The Doors, essayist, best-selling author of ‘Riders on the Storm’. 

This is an astonishing book-part memoir, part re-telling of old stories and part courageous dives into the psyche. Shaws writing derives from the wealth and daring a writer, storyteller and wilderness teacher must have. When it finished I felt I’d been given a gift.  GIOIA TIMPANELLI, Storyteller, author of ‘What Makes a Child Lucky’ and winner of the National Book award. 

Shaw is a writer of rare and fierce beauty, and a great enemy of mediocrity, wherever it may hide. ‘A Branch From the LightningTree’ is an oceanic dive into the mythic fire. The whole book conjures a tale of who we are and where we might be going.  DANIEL DEARDORF, Mythologist, author of ‘The Other Within: The Genius of Deformity in Myth, Culture, and Psyche

‘Lightning Tree’ invokes Robert Graves and the Crow poems of Ted Hughes-it is a combination of practical knowledge, imaginative insight and passionate storytelling that gives Shaw’s Book its persuasiveness and power. At times incantatory, at times novelistic and poetic, he summons up the flavour of a lived experience. JOHN DANVERS, Author of ‘Picturing Mind: Paradox, Indeterminancy and  Consciouness in Art and Poetry.’