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The Flower of Empire: An Amazonian Water Lily, the Quest to Make It Bloom, and
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eBay item number:285014720631
Item specifics
- Condition
- Publication Date
- 2013-04-09
- Pages
- 328
- ISBN
- 9780195373899
- Book Title
- Flower of Empire : an Amazonian Water Lily, the Quest to Make It Bloom, and the World It Created
- Item Length
- 6.5in
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press, Incorporated
- Publication Year
- 2013
- Format
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- Item Height
- 1.1in
- Genre
- Gardening, Science, History
- Topic
- Life Sciences / Botany, Flowers / General, Modern / 19th Century, Europe / Great Britain / General
- Item Width
- 9.4in
- Item Weight
- 21.3 Oz
- Number of Pages
- 328 Pages
About this product
Product Information
The fascinating story of the massive Amazonian water lily, the Victoria regia, from its discovery in the wilds of British Guiana in 1837 to its metamorphosis into a symbol of Victorian culture and of the British Empire itself.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ISBN-10
0195373898
ISBN-13
9780195373899
eBay Product ID (ePID)
143583371
Product Key Features
Book Title
Flower of Empire : an Amazonian Water Lily, the Quest to Make It Bloom, and the World It Created
Format
Hardcover
Language
English
Topic
Life Sciences / Botany, Flowers / General, Modern / 19th Century, Europe / Great Britain / General
Publication Year
2013
Genre
Gardening, Science, History
Number of Pages
328 Pages
Dimensions
Item Length
6.5in
Item Height
1.1in
Item Width
9.4in
Item Weight
21.3 Oz
Additional Product Features
Lc Classification Number
Qk495.N97h65 2013
Reviews
"According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-century Britain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times "The discovery of the large water lily Victoria amazonica fascinated the botantical and social world of Great Britian and beyond. Holway takes many divergent paths, introducing the personalities involved and the botanical, architectural, and cultural themes centered on this fantastic water lily. Recommended." --CHOICE "Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr "Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivière, Oxford University "Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University "Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory exposé." --Booklist, Tatiana Holway tells the story in all its complexities with verve and humour a handsome book at a very reasonable price., A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time., "According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-century Britain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times "The discovery of the large water lily Victoria amazonica fascinated the botantical and social world of Great Britian and beyond. Holway takes many divergent paths, introducing the personalities involved and the botanical, architectural, and cultural themes centered on this fantastic water lily. Recommended." --CHOICE "Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr "Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivire, Oxford University "Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University "Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory expos." --Booklist, "According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-century Britain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times"The discovery of the large water lily Victoria amazonica fascinated the botantical and social world of Great Britian and beyond. Holway takes many divergent paths, introducing the personalities involved and the botanical, architectural, and cultural themes centered on this fantastic water lily. Recommended." --CHOICE"Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr"Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester"A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivière, Oxford University"Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University"Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory exposé." --Booklist, [A] splendid story what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, Her rip-roaring, page-turning approach makes this book a hugely enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in 19th century history', "According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-century Britain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times "Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr "Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivière, Oxford University "Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University "Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory exposé." --Booklist, Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrate, but Holway's book has led me reconsider., Her rip-roaring, page-turning approach makes this book a hugely enjoyable read for anyone with an interest in 19th century history, "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivière, Oxford University "Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University, "According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-centuryBritain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times"The discovery of the large water lily Victoria amazonica fascinated the botantical and social world of Great Britian and beyond. Holway takes many divergent paths, introducing the personalities involved and the botanical, architectural, and cultural themes centered on this fantastic water lily. Recommended." --CHOICE"Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr"Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester"A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews"Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivière, Oxford University"Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth andhumor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professorin the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University"Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory exposé." --Booklist, "According to Tatiana Holway in The Flower of Empire, the Amazon water lily created a whole new world. That may seem a bit of a stretch, but Holway makes a lively case for this botanical colossus. . . . But what's most fascinating about this tale is the way Holway twists and turns it through other botanical developments, from the invention of Wardian cases (which made transporting plants viable) to the manic obsession with flowers of 19th-century Britain, a nation in the midst of the Industrial Revolution." ---New York Times "Written with great verve and eloquence, Tatiana Holway tells her story of botanical adventure as robustly as the botanist who undertook the South American discovery of the great water lily, Victoria regia, and the cultural obsession it inspired. As a piece of horticultural and social history of Victorian England, The Flower of Empire is splendid: by turns surprising, exciting, and illuminating." --John Lahr "Tatiana Holway's wonderful book about the Victoria regia is fascinating, impeccably written, and elegantly designed. Until I read it I had been most fascinated by the Chinese handkerchief tree, Davidia involucrata, but Holway's book has led me reconsider." --Simon Winchester "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." --Kirkus Reviews "Tatiana Holway has a fascinating story of Victorian England to tell about a giant Amazonian water lily, the attempts to get it to grow in England and how it became the inspiration for the Crystal Palace. She has brought to life the extraordinary characters involved, from the German scientific traveler who came across the lily on New Year's day 1837 in the interior of the then British Guiana to the botanical elite of Great Britain who tried to make it bloom." --Peter Rivire, Oxford University "Tatiana Holway has written a lively account of a fascinating series of events in Victorian England: the discovery and cultivation of an enormous tropical water lily that was named (after learned discussion) Victoria Regia, for the young and popular queen. The race to make the Amazonian flower bloom in England captured the public imagination, involved rivalries and disputes among leading figures, and had far-reaching consequences. With scholarly depth and humor, and in unfailingly readable prose, Holway shows how a botanical oddity could become an imperial, cultural, and political symbolic expression of the age." --Steven Marcus, George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities Emeritus, Columbia University "Teeming with intimate glimpses into the physically challenging world of international plant collecting, as well as the petty intricacies of royal politics.. Holway's chronicle of Victorian society and the age of scientific discovery is a vibrant, revelatory expos." --Booklist, "A fresh and often witty account in which the author quotes freely from correspondence and periodicals to create a lively portrait of Victorian England and of the widespread passion for flowers and gardening at that time." Kirkus Reviews
Table of Content
Prologue: Victoria's Floras 1. Terra Incognita 2. Perils and Wonders 3. A Floral Sensation 4. An International Tempest 5. Return to the Wild 6. Cultivating Kew Gardens 7. His Grace and His Gardener 8. The Flowering of Chatsworth 9. Golden Square 10. Evergreens 11. Salvaging Kew Gardens 12. Trading Favors 13. Trials and Errors 14. The Great Stove 15. Reviving Kew Gardens 16. Return to El Dorado 17. Paxton, Inc. 18. First Bloom 19. Nature's Engineer 20. Empire under Glass Epilogue: Victoria Regia Redux Notes Bibliography
Copyright Date
2013
Lccn
2012-034518
Dewey Decimal
727/.6580942
Intended Audience
Trade
Dewey Edition
23
Illustrated
Yes
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eBay item number:285014720631
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