Florence Thinard has a degree in history and international relations from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. She worked in tourism in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, before becoming a journalist. She has written or co-authored more than 30 books, and lives in Toulouse, France. Yannick Fourie is a professional nature photographer. His images have appeared in more than 15 books. He lives in France.
A fascinating account of explorers who traveled the world, from
ancient Egyptians to contemporary researchers, and the plant
specimens they catalogued. Thinard's writing experience--both as a
journalist who writes about geopolitical issues and as an author of
young adult novels--is evident, as in her account of how Scottish
botanist Robert Fortune journeyed into China as a industrial spy
for the East India Company to steal the secrets of growing tea. The
book features 80 explorers and the botanists who traveled with them
through the ages. Organized chronologically, explorers, their
achievements, and annotated plant specimens are handsomely
presented on adjacent facing pages. The achievement page contains a
short biography, a map of the explorer's travel, and other related
insets and photos. A detailed index and table of contents enables
readers to access specific content readily. Enhanced by
illustrations and Yannick Fourie's photographs, this attractive
coffee-table book is designed to be leisurely perused, but it is
also an encyclopedic resource that would be an excellent reference
for students.-- "Publishers Weekly" (11/21/2016 12:00:00 AM)
Here is an engaging opportunity for herbalists and botanists to
learn their history. Historian Thinard reviews the story of 80
pioneering botanists, both celebrated and obscure, who set out into
the unknown throughout the world to collect thousands of unusual
plants... Each explorer in this oversized book is artistically
presented on a page with their portrait, accomplishments, related
photos, and a map tracing their journey. The facing page displays a
herbarium specimen, often one they collected, with notes in their
own hand. I could not put the book down!-- "American Herb
Assocation Quarterly" (9/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)
This beautiful, coffee-table sized book presents a history of
botanists from around the world and the plants they collected...
Explorers Botanical Notebook, opens a window into the importance of
early plant collection and identification... This book would fit
beautifully onto the shelf of a middle school or high school
library, or in the homes of armchair explorers seeking a glimpse
into the early days of botanical exploration.--Kim Zumach "Green
Teacher Magazine" (6/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
This is a splendid tribute to the most famous plant explorers from
the time of the Pharaoh Queen Hatshepsut in the 15th century B.C.E.
to Francis Halle in 2010. The endeavors of over 80 adventurous,
intrepid, persistent, and inquisitive naturalist and botanists are
traced in this compilation. Each of the individuals discussed is
honored with a full page photograph of a field-collected herbarium
specimen. Maps, vintage images (including likenesses of each of the
explorers), and their time lines illuminate the lives of these
fearless botanical explorers. The book's design and layout are
engagingly noteworthy, including the covers, which are photographs
of an actual plant press -- the kind used by field collectors. The
life history and experiences of each of the subjects are worthy of
an action film, making the text almost impossible to put down. In
this short but utterly charming book, one can glean a glimpse of
the life of a plant explorer over time. The world of horticulture
has been fabulously enriched by the work of these men and women
represented within this great work. Recommended. All readers.--L.
G. Kavaljian "Choice" (4/1/2017 12:00:00 AM)
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