‘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.
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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Reviews
An enthusiastic historian's view of the subject with lots of colourful detail
The fast-paced text brings to life the excitement caused in Europe by the introduction of this exotic flower from the East
A fascinating exploration of human greed and self-delusion and also a tribute to our ageless search for beauty
A marvellous parable of greed, skulduggery, opulence, extravagance and retribution
A fine chapter of social history - enticing, splendidly written and informative
[Dash] has the storyteller's knack of making his readers feel present in the sweaty, smoke-filled taverns of Haalem ... a shining tribute to this extraordinary flower
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
Detailed and highly readable
Gripping ... a happy weight of detail