The Collector: David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest [B0356]

2010 PB in gift-worthy condition. Equal parts biography, natural history, and travelogue, Jack Nisbet tells the story of David Douglas, the 19th century Scottish naturalist and botanical explorer-perfect for amateur naturalists and armchair historians of the Pacific Northwest The Collector tracks Douglas's fascinating history, from his humble birth in Scotland in 1799 to his botanical training under the famed William Jackson Hooker, and details his adventures in North America discovering exotic new plants for the English and European market. Douglas's discoveries include hundreds of western plants--most notably the Douglas Fir. The book takes readers along on Douglas's journeys into a literal brave new world of then-obscure realms from Puget Sound to the Sandwich Islands. "In telling Douglas's story, Nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances."-Bookmarks Magazine. "An exhilarating biography that provides an entertaining portrait of the unfettered determination that drove one of the giants in the field of botanical exploration and infused the young nation he viewed with a keen and zealous spirit."-Booklist.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Very fascinating read about the life and adventures of David Douglas, probably best known for the Douglas Fir named in his honor. His travels took him much deeper into the North American continent than I realized and his influence in the cataloging of so many North American species of plants (and many animals) is tremendous. Just really enjoyable."; "Jack Nisbet has a way of telling a story - keeping it informative but not reading like a text book - that just keeps you in it the whole way through."; "Like the other books I've read by this author the writing and storytelling are wonderful. I highly recommend all of Jack Nisbet's books!"