Sex, Botany and Empire (Icon Science)
The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks
Will be published approx. on 4. November 2004
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-1-84046-573-0 (ISBN)
Description
When the imperial explorer James Cook returned from his first voyage to Australia, scandal writers mercilessly satirised the amorous exploits of his botanist, Joseph Banks. Was the pursuit of scientific truth really what drove Enlightenment science? Patricia Fara reveals the existence, barely concealed under Banks' and Linnaeus' camouflage of noble Enlightenment, of the altogether more seedy drives to conquer, subdue and deflower in the name of the British Imperial state.
Reviews / Votes
"'Absorbing' Observer; 'Enticing... with a sharp eye for 18th-century mores, this is an engrossing exploration of the growth of the British Empire.'Good Book Guide; 'Delectable' Marina Warner; 'An entertaining account of the appliance of science to the needs of empire' Financial Times; 'The book's lively prose combines historical detail with humorous anecdotes.' Geographical Magazine"More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Duxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 178 mm
Width: 111 mm
Weight
180 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84046-573-0 (9781840465730)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Patricia Fara is a Fellow of Clare College at the University of Cambridge, where she teaches history of science. Previous books include Newton: The Making of Genius (Macmillan, 2001) and An Entertainment for Angels (Icon, 2001).