The Tulip

Starred review from January 18, 1999
This splendidly extravagant history is only the latest example of how far an obsession with Queen Tulipa can lead. Pavord (The Flowering Year), the gardening correspondent for the Independent, searched the world's libraries and archives and trekked over war-torn mountainsides to put together an astonishing bouquet of economic and cultural lore, grand historic trends and horticultural exotica. Her witty, frighteningly erudite story starts in Turkey, where Sultans of old held nightly entertainments in gardens lit by mirrored lanterns and required guests to dress in colors to match the tulips. Holland of 1634-1637 saw the famous Tulipomania, during which a single bulb could be traded for the price of the most expensive house in Amsterdam. Seventeenth-century French ladies of fashion wore tulips like jewels (and paid as much for them), and monographists puzzled endlessly over why plain blossoms could suddenly transform themselves into feathered and flamed curiosities. As for Enlightenment England, supposedly sensible people were not immune to the rage, and burgeoning florists' societies were dedicated to growing the flower in the island's wet and clammy soil. Though this isn't a how-to manual, gardeners will appreciate the encyclopedic descriptions of wild species and garden varieties of tulips. Lastly, the sumptuous illustrations covering five centuries of tulip-inspired art and artifacts will dazzle browsers and botanists alike. About much more than a lovely flower, this book will give readers a panoramic eyeful of culture, aesthetics, politics and economics--in short, the spectrum of human endeavor as revealed in the passage of the tulip through history. 50,000 first printing; major ad/promo; author tour.

March 1, 1999
Pavord (The New Kitchen Garden, DK, 1996) has clearly been touched by some of the madness that appears throughout the history of the tulip, and her simple title belies the complexity of the story she tells. She traces the fascination for this flower from the first mania for its use in 14th-century Turkey to its evolution as a common garden flower. Using contemporary sources, which also supply some of the lavish illustrations, she documents the tulip's introduction to Western Europe in the 15th century. She also tells the personal stories of the gardeners who devoted their lives and fortunes to developing new varieties. The tulip's mysterious habit of "breaking" and developing new forms and colors was the basis for speculative crazes, first with the Dutch in the 17th century and then later the English and French, since the gardener who grew a desirable new variety could make a fortune. The second half of the book is a comprehensive listing and description of all tulip species as well as some of the 2600 varieties of garden tulips still in general cultivation. Pavord's lively history is recommended for all gardening collections.--Daniel Starr, Museum of Modern Art Lib., New York

March 15, 1999
This is not a gardening book, as the author points out in her informative introduction. The greater part of the book deals with the history of a flower that "has carried more political, social, economic, religious, intellectual, and cultural baggage than any other on earth." Pavord spent six years doing research in private book collections, libraries, and auction house catalogs. She traveled to the Middle East looking for rare specimens growing in the wild. The tulip was first discovered in Turkey in the mid^-sixteenth century, and the U.S. now imports three billion tulip bulbs each year. Pavord discusses the flower's history and development in central Asia, the Caucasus, and northern Europe. One chapter is devoted to the flower's history and cultivation during the past 100 years. The book's second half contains detailed descriptions of 80 wild-species tulips and several hundred garden varieties. This is an engrossing book, probably the most complete work ever done on the subject. And there are 150 sumptuous color photographs. Botanists, gardeners, and art historians will find it indispensable. ((Reviewed March 15, 1999))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1999, American Library Association.)