A History of the Fragrant Rose [Paperback]

Allen Paterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

The rose is the most treasured flower in the world. It has been prized, even held as sacred, for thousands of years. Across the ages, the rose has been celebrated in painting, music, myth, heraldry, and religion. Cultivated for its medicinal and culinary properties as well as for its fragrance, it was so highly valued in ancient times that attar of rose was more costly than gold. Abounding in wonderful illustrations, this enchanting tome traces the flower’s long and fascinating story—from the rose gardens of Malmaison belonging to Napoleon's Empress Josephine to the Wars of the Roses.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The rose has a history and pedigree as lustrous as its blossoms and as vibrant as its fragrance. An inspiration to artists and writers, its iconic images have adorned royal tapestries, graced religious pageantry, and infused fable and myth with halcyon notions and portentous omens from the dawn of civilization. The director of Ontario's Royal Botanical Gardens, Paterson keenly combines archaeology with art history, horticulture with literary criticism, as he traces the lineage of the rose genus and showcases renowned specimens from antiquity to contemporary times. There is an eclectic range of fact and lore as Paterson delves into the intricacies of nomenclature, the mysteries behind hybridization, and the distinctive characteristics that have made the rose revered by royalty, venerated by botanists, and enjoyed by gardeners around the world. Lushly illustrated, Paterson's potpourri of rose fact and fiction is a delectable addition to the garden library. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Allen Paterson is the former director of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Canada and of the Chelsea Physic Garden in the United Kingdom. He is known throughout the world as a preeminent garden writer whose books include Trees for Your Garden and Plants for Shade.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Little Books (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904435750
• ISBN-13: 978-1904435754
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,329,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engravings, paintings, and more embellish the story of how the rose flourished over the centuries to become the favored flower, December 12, 2006

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A History of the Fragrant Rose (Hardcover)

There have been so many rose books on the market that one might wonder at the need for yet another - with no color photos, no less - but A History of the Fragrant Rose isn't about glossy photos. It's a survey of the rose's history and blends color artistic illustrations with a survey of the medicinal, culinary, and celebratory properties of roses from ancient to modern times. Engravings, paintings, and more embellish the story of how the rose flourished over the centuries to become the favored flower it is today.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A bit of a muddle., August 26, 2008

By 

Josef K (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A History of the Fragrant Rose (Paperback)

There is no particular rhyme or reason to this book, it reads like some ancient Renaissance gentleman's idiosyncratic treatise on a pet subject. Lots of interesting tid bits to be found, but more or less of a muddle. Most of the color plates [at least the ones in the hardcover version] seem to have been chosen at random, they are not usually referenced in the text and tend to be only vaguely related to the textual content.

I really wouldn't reccomend this to anyone other than a collector of books on roses or horticultural history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars this book felt as if it had been written years ago, March 24, 2008

By 

Marge Piercy - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A History of the Fragrant Rose (Paperback)

Except for a couple of brief mentions, everything stopped for this author in the 80s. Also the title is misleading, as there is little about fragrance. IT's a history of rose gardening with some interesting tangents but a great deal about specific gardens, mostly in England and a few on the continent.