The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book [Hardcover]

Graham Stuart Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1994

An omnibus edition of three classics---The Old Shrub Roses, Shrub Roses of Today, and Climbing Roses Old and New---that were largely responsible for kindling modern enthusiasm for historical roses. All have been revised and expanded for this new edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Graham Stuart Thomas' The Old Shrub Roses was first published in 1955, his Shrub Roses of Today appeared in 1962, and his Climbing Roses Old and New came out in 1965. The three books have now been revised and enlarged for this new compiled edition, and new illustrations have been added along with "Notes on the Origin and Evolution of Our Garden Roses," C. C. Hurst's classic essay on the subject written in 1941. Thomas, now 85, is the author of 15 other garden books and garden adviser to Britain's National Trust. In this luxurious book, Thomas lists hundreds of roses, each with the plant's garden forms, varieties, hybrids, the name of the raiser, and the date it was introduced. He describes in detail the plant's leaves, blooms, height, and growing season. But the book is more than just a list of roses; Thomas includes an essay on the appeal of roses, one on old shrub roses, one on wild roses, one on climbers and ramblers, and another on cultivation, pruning, and fragrance. This is truly a comprehensive work on the subject, with 158 color photographs and paintings. Some of the paintings are by the author, as are 21 pencil drawings. George Cohen

Review

"'More than anyone else, Graham Stuart Thomas launched the revival of interest in roses long out of favour.' Henry Mitchell, Washington Post; 'The greatest gardener of our time, perhaps of all time.' Daily Telegraph" --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 509 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881922803
• ISBN-13: 978-0881922806
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,274,255 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good book for rose historians or other rose gardeners, June 26, 2002

By 

Amy Goebel Padgett "AGP" (Clarkton, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book (Hardcover)

I love this book, but found it a little daunting when I first unwrapped it. It is not your standard "lots of beautiful pictures" book. There are a few pictures, but they are not particularly good. It is the writing and the information contained that make this book so valuable. I keep it on my bedside table now and browse through it regularly, to read the fascinating histories and yummy descriptions of roses.

One thing that makes this book so excellent is the beautiful writing and the fact that he includes text and information from older rose resources/material that would be difficult to find without going to an extensive library. It is informative and gives detailed histories of old garden roses with descriptions that truly give you a feel for the roses. There is a rich section on propagation and the cultivation of roses, as well, although I found this less interesting than the historical information. I am particularly interested in Moss roses and this book had excellent material relating to the development of this type of rose, as well as all the other categories such as Portlands, Gallicas, Albas, etc. If you are confused by the categories, you cannot find a better source for explaining how these classes are different and how they may have come into being. I highly recommend it for people who are interested in history and development of roses. I have not seen a better book in this category, and I have quite a number of rose books.

If you are fascinated with the history of the rose, you should get this book--I read this time and time again when considering additions to my garden or when I simply want to know more about the old garden roses I grow and get the characterists of the various classes of rose straight in my mind.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Not a Picture Book - But it is Very Good, October 18, 2000

By 

"srbrubaker" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book (Hardcover)

If you are a rose-lover who lives from show to show, this book is not likely to please. Nor is it likely to be a good book first book for people new to roses. Firstly, it is not a picture book, though it does have some of the best rose photos to be found in books. Secondly it is not about the "hot" roses of today Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Miniatures.

Graham Stuart Thomas started out growing such roses, but in his early twenties he was visited by Constance Spry, an Old Rose lover who changed the way he looked at roses. Thomas has spent the rest of his life preserving, promoting, and documenting Old Roses, Shrub Roses, and Climbing Roses. His studies have honed his aesthetic sensibilities. And it is these keen sensibilities that inform this book. We can rely on Thomas to tell us not just the features and history of a rose, but to relate to us how he feels about it. It is this judgement that makes the book extremely valuable.

As we mentioned, the book has a section of one or two hundred photographs and watercolor paintings. These are classic photos, of whole plants. They teach us how the roses will look as garden plants. And as such they are more valuable than a ten thousand photos of single hybrid tea blossoms.

It is easy to recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn how to choose good, gardenworthy roses that work as landscape plants. Any well-rounded rose grower really should have spent some hours perusing its pages.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book About Roses, Period., July 7, 2001

By 

Ispahan "cjt48" (Michigan USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book (Hardcover)

One of the previous reviews said that this book is "not for the gardener." Perhaps it is not for the general, whining newby who can't tell the difference between a hybrid tea and a gallica or the lazy reader who can't get past any book that isn't slopped about with gaudy, glossy photographs and illustrations. But it *is* for the TRUE gardener who appreciates substance over style and really wants to learn about all that roses have to offer. The information contained in this book is priceless, charming and soul-satisfying. If you want a basic rose book with those goofy illustrated directions for planting a rose or identifying black spot, then please drive to Wal-Mart and pick one up there. If, however, you have outgrown the Ortho series (or the equivalent) and want something a bit more...wonderful...then please look no farther than G.S. Thomas and his unsurpassed trilogy of rose books.