Customer Reviews

Quest for the Rose:: A Historical Guide to Roses

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The importance of this book in serious rose research lies in the photographs of the roses in their growing habitat. Most rose books show close-ups of the flowers, rather than the entire bush, making it difficult to see how large the flowers are in relation to the leaves and the plant. Seeing the plants growth habit is also important in choosing a rose, which this book illustrates most admirably. In addition, the historical facts and cultivation information reward the researcher with the most complete volume on roses published to date. If you must buy only one rose book, this is the one to own!

This book provides an in depth history of the rose, plus modern roses. It gives good descriptions of the plant, its care and even its scent. Lots of good photographs

I learned more from reading "Quest for the Rose" than any other horticulture book I have read. It is a fascinating book. After reading "In Search of Lost Roses" I became very interested in roses throughout history. Humans have been breeding roses for different characteristics for thousands of years. This book teaches modern rose lovers practical lessons about different varieties of roses: which roses grow well in hot climates, or dry climates, or the most northern climates, which grow tall and will clamber up a nearby tree or wall, and which will stay small and compact. All these characteristics are determined by the plant's ancestors, and the country of their origins. As an example, I had always heard that it is very hard to find a cold-hardy yellow rose. "Quest for the Rose" explains that the genetics that favor a yellow bloom originated in the most uniformly warm climates of the world. If you love roses, and are curious about their development over the years, you will really enjoy this book. Make sure to also read "In Search of Lost Roses", about a horticulturist's discovery of historic roses.

I have been spoiled by books that offer a much more entertaining and comprehensive view of rose history, like the superb In Search of Lost Roses by Thomas Christopher, and by books that offer a far better pictorial presentation of the glory of the rose world, such as Peter Beales' Passion for Roses. (Beales' book also contains an excellent historical section). Another book with magnificent pictures is David Austin's most recent book The English Roses.
In comparison to these marvels, Phillips and Rix's The Quest for the Rose did not stand a chance. One could forgive the authors the less than compelling photos had the text been more engaging, but the text was overburdened with facts that lacked an interesting motor to drive them. Too many of the photos were dull, having been taken at less than ideal times of day for photography. They are what I call record shots. In bygone days this might have been fine, but nowadays there are so many books on the market that artistically wonderful photos that also serve as `record shots' that this book is left behind in the race. I am a compulsive collector of rose books, so am glad I have read it, but I would only recommend it to someone like myself who just cannot leave a book on roses that she has not yet seen unread. I am a person who reads books from cover to cover - but could not manage to endure all of this one.

I am an old rose buff. My rose garden has at least forty and old garden roses (gallicas, damasks, albas, centifolias, and moss roses). I also enjoy classic modern roses (Alec's Red, Mr Lincoln, The Crocus Rose, etc).

This book doesn't have enough text or discussion for a serious work on the subject, but it does have wonderful photography. The reader is thus treated to only really the bare essentials of the story but with enough photos to give you a real feel for the history.

The one complaint regarding the photography I had was that the photo of Rosa gigantea didn't seem to show the size of the plant very well. Otherwise great book.

I purchased this book thinking it would be something beautiful, but I would regard it more as a educational type of book, a lot of information on roses and the history of roses, but a bit disappointed in the appearance of the book for the money, but my book was in fair condition so maybe that has impacted on my review.