Great Natural History Books and their Creators

Description:

Amongst the greatest books ever created are the large scale works of natural history, researched and written by apothecaries, scientists and others for whom the study of the natural world was a consuming passion. Behind each book there is a story to tell - how and why the volume was created, the vicissitudes suffered by those engaged in its production, the slow journey to the market, and above all the beauty of the plates. Such books are now very rare and sought after - for example, Hortus Etstettensis, Thornton's Temple of Flora, Audubon's Birds of America, and the Daneills' Oriental Scenery. The stories behind many such books are engagingly told by Ray Desmond, with many beautifully reproduced colour plates