The Flowering Of The Pacific: Being An Account Of Joseph Banks' Travels In The South Seas And The Story Of His Florilegium
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
At the intersection of adventure, science, and empire stands Joseph Banks — the brilliant naturalist who sailed with Captain Cook aboard the Endeavour and returned with the most extraordinary botanical collection the world had ever seen. The Flowering of the Pacific chronicles Banks' remarkable voyages through the South Seas, painting a vivid portrait of an eighteenth-century polymath whose insatiable curiosity transformed our understanding of the natural world, and whose long-delayed masterwork, the Florilegium, would take over two centuries to finally reach publication. Brian Adams presents not merely a travel narrative, but a meditation on scientific ambition, colonial encounter, and the painstaking art of botanical illustration. With meticulous attention to historical detail, the work illuminates how Banks' collections and the stunning copper-plate engravings of his Florilegium represent a landmark achievement in the history of natural history. Adams' prose is both authoritative and accessible, drawing the reader deep into the lush landscapes of the Pacific while raising enduring questions about legacy, knowledge, and the long arc of discovery — leaving one to wonder what other treasures still lie waiting to bloom.
Author: Brian Adams
Format: Hardback
Published: 1986, Collins / British Museum (Natural History)
Genre: Natural history
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
At the intersection of adventure, science, and empire stands Joseph Banks — the brilliant naturalist who sailed with Captain Cook aboard the Endeavour and returned with the most extraordinary botanical collection the world had ever seen. The Flowering of the Pacific chronicles Banks' remarkable voyages through the South Seas, painting a vivid portrait of an eighteenth-century polymath whose insatiable curiosity transformed our understanding of the natural world, and whose long-delayed masterwork, the Florilegium, would take over two centuries to finally reach publication. Brian Adams presents not merely a travel narrative, but a meditation on scientific ambition, colonial encounter, and the painstaking art of botanical illustration. With meticulous attention to historical detail, the work illuminates how Banks' collections and the stunning copper-plate engravings of his Florilegium represent a landmark achievement in the history of natural history. Adams' prose is both authoritative and accessible, drawing the reader deep into the lush landscapes of the Pacific while raising enduring questions about legacy, knowledge, and the long arc of discovery — leaving one to wonder what other treasures still lie waiting to bloom.