Book Review: The Flower of Empire

The Flower of Empire is a rip-roaring tale of a discovery of a giant water lily which fired the imagination of Victorian society in Britain. It includes a number of familiar key figures and institutions of the time, such as Paxton, Lindley, Kew, the Horticultural Society (yet to obtain its 'Royal' prefix) and the Royal Geographical Society.

Little did a German-born explorer working in the toughest conditions in South America know his discovery would create the sensation it did. What follows is political 'spin' at its very best as the task of naming the new plant in honour of the new Queen Victoria without giving offence proves difficult. Having got agreement to the name (Victoria regia) and therefore effectively securing royal patronage, the political waters are muddied still further when claims from abroad that the discovery isn't new are made.

Then follows the race to bring home viable specimens and to get the lily to flower with much horticultural pride at stake. This was eventually won by Paxton, a man with humble beginnings, who rose to be one of the most inventive and admired men of the Victorian age. The lily's structure also inspired him to solve a problem in the design of his new enormous glass buildings by using a 'ridge and furrow' design. Not only did this lead to the amazing Crystal Palace which housed the Great Exhibition of 1851 (via the amazing glasshouses he designed to house plant specimens), but it also lay one of the main foundation stones (excuse the pun) of modern architecture today.

Holway's book is meticulously researched and finely observed. Whilst her style reads a little novelish rather than reference at times, that's not a bad thing. This is no dry historical account and it's good to find an independent American view of an essentially British tale.

With London 2012 fresh in our minds, there are many parallels to be drawn between the events of the 19th Century and those leading up to the building of both the Millennium Dome and our hosting of the Olympics. Viewers of the recent BBC4 series 'Unbuilt Britain' (particularly the first episode) will find the detailed background to the inspiration for Paxton's proposed Victorian Way shown in the series fascinating.

A recommended read now the autumnal nights are drawing in.

Comments

  1. Anonymous6 September 2013 at 09:31

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Anonymous6 September 2013 at 11:08

    Thanks for the recommendation, this has now gone on my 'to read' list. Flighty xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tim6 September 2013 at 11:54

    I'll definitely be on the look out for this book. I always find it wonderful that so many plants have such rich histories. Thanks for your review, it was a good read.

    ReplyDelete
  4. CJ6 September 2013 at 20:24

    Sounds fascinating. I am always inspired by people who rise to great things from humble beginnings. And it's good to find something different from the usual to read. Thank you for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anna7 September 2013 at 10:01

    Thanks for your review VP. Those days were exciting times indeed. Will be keeping my eyes open to see if this appears on the library shelves :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. VP8 October 2013 at 10:14

    Hi everyone - I hope you enjoy the book too!

    ReplyDelete

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