Tulipomania
Mike Dash
'A fascinating exploration of human greed and self-delusion and also a tribute to our ageless search for beauty' DEBORAH MOGGACH.
In 1630s' Holland thousands of people, from the wealthiest merchants to the lowest street traders, were caught up in a frenzy of buying and selling. The object of the speculation was not oil or gold, but the tulip, a delicate and exotic bloom that had just arrived from the east. Over three years, rare tulip bulbs changed hands for sums that would have bought a house in Amsterdam: a single bulb could sell for more than £300,000 at today's prices. Fortunes were made overnight, but then lost when, within a year, the market collapsed.
Mike Dash recreates this bizarre episode in European history, separating myth from reality. He traces the hysterical boom and devastating bust, bringing to life a colourful cast of characters, and beautifully evoking Holland's Golden Age.
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About Mike Dash
Reviews for Tulipomania
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
A marvellous parable of greed, skulduggery, opulence, extravagance and retribution
Simon Singh A fascinating exploration of human greed and self-delusion and also a tribute to our ageless search for beauty
Deborah Moggach Detailed and highly readable
DAILY TELEGRAPH
An enthusiastic historian's view of the subject with lots of colourful detail
Jan Morris, Books of the Year
INDEPENDENT
I can't remember the last time I read a plant book or a gardening book that was such a page-turner. The story is a gift, of course - but the grip lies in the telling ... Such is the artistry of the writing that you will mop it all up, sponge like, and absorb it as you pursue the twists and turns of the story
HORTUS
A fine chapter of social history - enticing, splendidly written and informative
KIRKUS
Gripping ... a happy weight of detail
GUARDIAN
The fast-paced text brings to life the excitement caused in Europe by the introduction of this exotic flower from the East
BBC GARDENERS' WORLD