From Star Carr in Yorkshire to Windsor Great Park via the Trois Freres caves, from folk trickster to deity via Shakespeare and Victorian gothic, this is a masterly summation of the origins of a beloved Green God of the twenty-first century. The author reveals Herne's origins and reminds us that ultimately, archetypes can never be confined, but will always exist on their own terms.

-  Penny Billington, The Path of Druidry, The Wisdom of Birch, Oak and Yew and Nine ways to charm a Dryad 

Andrew Anderson is a wordsmith who weaves magic into stories and translates that onto the page. With Herne the Hunter he brings together a tale of magic, mystery and perhaps even a little mayhem, with history and lore woven through. Anderson captures the essence of this intriguing figure perfectly. Fact, fiction or a bit of both? If that question interests you, I encourage you to read the book!

- Rachel Patterson, Witch and best selling author of over 30 books on Witchcraft including Gods & Goddesses of England, The Triple Goddess and The Cailleach 

Andrew Anderson has produced a gem of a book here, tracing the evolution of Herne the hunter from his early Shakespearean roots to a beloved god of modern British paganism. Anderson’s scholarship here is excellent - just what we need to uncover the facts for a figure whose roots and branches are as twisted as an old oak. But these facts are in safe hands with Anderson who knows this does nothing to diminish Herne’s power - his fondness for the god that drew so many of us towards paganism in the first place, is tangible and infectious. I always think if we didn’t know him by the name Herne, we’d know him by some other name, as we need a god of the forest, and he is the one who came. This is book is essential reading for all those who love him, and fills an important gap on the bookshelf. 5 stars.

- Danu Forest (MA Celtic Studies) Traditional Wisewoman, folklorist and Celtic Scholar 

Challenging, evocative, ground breaking... Anderson's Herne the Hunter: Lord of the Forest, is an expose on a figure so many believe they know well. Relying on his Shakespearen studies background, Anderson takes readers on the literary journey through the development and apotheosis of a modern English God. From the first mention of Herne in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Anderson masterfully covers, with no stone left unturned, the four hundred year odyssey of Herne and his mythos. Highly recommended.

- Benjamin Stimpson, Of Doves & Ravens: The Witches and Wisefolk of Wales and the Borders 

Herne – is he a pagan god, the ghost of hanged man, an English folk hero, a spirit of the wildwood, or a character created by Shakespeare to entertain Elizabethan audiences? Andrew Anderson’s Pagan Portals – Herne the Hunter shows that he has been depicted as all of these. Fascinating and meticulously researched, this book takes a deep dive into the history, legends, myths, and creative interpretations that have turned a horned man said to haunt the woods of Windsor into one of the most popular archetypes honoured in modern paganism. As a student of literature, I was personally fascinated to learn that Herne’s metamorphosis is primarily due to the way writers have re-imagined him, from Shakespearean theatre, to Gothic novels, to television’s Robin of Sherwood and even descriptions in books that come with oracle cards. Andrew Anderson shows the power of storytelling in shaping the way we envisage both forces of nature and deities.

- Lucya Starza, Pagan Portals titles on Candle Magic, Poppets and Magical Dolls, Guided Visualisations, Scrying, and The Wheel of the Year, and the Gothic novel Erosion 

Andrew Anderson takes us on a fascinating literary and cultural journey in search of the elusive roots of Herne the Hunter. It is an enlightening and enjoyable read, busting open some myths and shining a light on Herne's surprising evolution and ever-changing face. Andrew illustrates the mystery of how the archetypal can come to inhabit the stories we tell in unexpected ways.

- Eimear Burke, Chosen Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids