如何理解书**C++并发编程实战**7.2.2小节代码清单7.4/7.5的回收机制?

Question

书C++并发编程实战2015 7.7.2小节: 停止恼人的泄露: 在无锁数据结构中管理内存处有代码清单7.4和7.5如下:
清单7.4:

#include <atomic>
#include <memory>

template<typename T>
class lock_free_stack
{
private:
    std::atomic<unsigned> threads_in_pop;
    void try_reclaim(node* old_head);
public:
    std::shared_ptr<T> pop()
    {
        ++threads_in_pop;
        node* old_head=head.load();
        while(old_head &&
              !head.compare_exchange_weak(old_head,old_head->next));
        std::shared_ptr<T> res;
        if(old_head)
        {
            res.swap(old_head->data);
        }
        try_reclaim(old_head);
        return res;
    }
};

清单7.5:

#include <atomic>
template<typename T>
class lock_free_stack
{
private:
    std::atomic<node*> to_be_deleted;
    static void delete_nodes(node* nodes)
    {
        while(nodes)
        {
            node* next=nodes->next;
            delete nodes;
            nodes=next;
        }
    }
    void try_reclaim(node* old_head)
    {
        if(threads_in_pop==1)
        {
            node* nodes_to_delete=to_be_deleted.exchange(nullptr);
            if(!--threads_in_pop)
            {
                delete_nodes(nodes_to_delete);
            }
            else if(nodes_to_delete)
            {
                chain_pending_nodes(nodes_to_delete);
            }
            delete old_head;
        }
        else
        {
            chain_pending_node(old_head);
            --threads_in_pop;
        }
    }
    void chain_pending_nodes(node* nodes)
    {
        node* last=nodes;
        while(node* const next=last->next)
        {
            last=next;
        }
        chain_pending_nodes(nodes,last);
    }
    void chain_pending_nodes(node* first,node* last)
    {
        last->next=to_be_deleted;
        while(!to_be_deleted.compare_exchange_weak(
                  last->next,first));
    }
    void chain_pending_node(node* n)
    {
        chain_pending_nodes(n,n);
    }
};

问题是清单7.4处为什么专门写了一大套逻辑(清单7.5的内容)用来回收old_head的空间? old_head是一个线程局部变量, 直接用delete old_head不可以吗? 这会不安全吗?