The Plant Hunters (Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew)

by Carolyn Fry

The Plant Hunters tells the story of our fascination with plants and the discovery of new species. From ancient times, when Alexander the Great included naturalists in his entourage, this intriguing story moves across the world, as plants such as coconut trees, roses and numerous fruits and vegetables were introduced from one country to another.

The book traces the establishment of botanical gardens and the discovery through exploration of plants that made or broke economies, for instance tulips, tea and rubber. Travelling right around the world and throughout history, this is the tale of the botanical pioneers who changed the face of landscapes.

• ISBN10: 0233005161
• ISBN13: 9780233005164
• Publish Date: 4 May 2017
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 24 March 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group
• Imprint: Andre Deutsch Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

First - this is a gorgeous book.  Generously and fabulously illustrated, at least half the pages are eye candy.   Second - it's really well researched, although it does lack a citation / notes section at the end, an unfortunate oversight.   Also unfortunate is the writing.  It's dry.  So, so dry.  Think academic history text dry.  If I had to guess, I'd say it's a case of severe editing; trying to pack huge chunks of history into small 1-2 page sections.  The result is a litany of names and dates guaranteed to make the most interested eyes droop.      Luckily, the illustrations go a long way towards perking up a reader's attention.