Author:David Hall
Fred Dibnah's World celebrates the life and work of Britain's best known steeplejack and national treasure, Fred Dibnhah. Before his death in 2004, Fred presented many popular series, including Magnificent Monuments, The Age of Steam and Made in Britain, all of which attracted viewers in their millions.
Fred is the companion to the 12-part BBC2 series celebrating the life of this great man, which combines highlights from some of Dibnah's classic programmes with previously unseen footage. The book can of course go much further than the series, including an extraordinarily account of Fred's childhood which evokes a lost England and our great industrial heritage. Fred's passion for the glories of the Victorian age and his fascination with the landscape he grew up in, plus his admiration for the craftsmen and labourers who made it all possible, captivate us on every page.
Fred is the personification of everything that made England great in the first place. And this is a glorious tribute to a man whom millions came to love.
Prepare to be astounded. There are moments when this book is so gripping it reads like a thriller
—— Mail on SundayOne of the most eloquent and genuinely thoughtful books on science over the past decade. You will not find a better, more balanced or up-to-date take on the origin of life or synthetic biology. Essential reading for anyone interested in the coming revolution, which could indeed rival the Industrial Revolution or the internet
—— ObserverFascinating. The reader's sense of awe at the well-nigh inconceivable nature of nature is suitably awakened. The extraordinary science and Rutherford's argument are worth every reader's scrutiny
—— Sunday TelegraphThe perfect primer on the past and future of DNA
—— GuardianAmazing and amusing . . . unputdownable
—— The LadyA story which will inspire many
—— Clitheroe Advertiser and TimesInspirational reading
—— The WeekA wondrous telling of the history of the very English love affair with gardens and growing things
—— Jon Snow, Channel Four NewsThe Brother Gardeners is a delightful book. It brings the story of 18th-century gardening to life in a remarkably vivid way, and sheds new light on the personality clashes and prejudices which lay at the root of the Georgians' passion for plants
—— Adrian TinniswoodThe Brother Gardeners were a group of men involved in the 18th-century quest for new plants, at a fascinating period in garden history. Andrea Wulf brings their personalities vividly to life in her thoroughly researched and lively account.
—— Jane Fearnley-WhittingstallA totally engrossing read
—— Rosie Atkins, Curator, Chelsea Physic GardenImmaculately written and researched, this book brings to life the dramas and dangers of eighteenth-century plant collecting
—— Catherine Horwood[An] engrossing history of botanical obsession in England in the 18th century ... The author has a good eye for interesting detail and a fine sense of literary economy
—— Tim Richardson , Country LifeA 'biography' of the quintessential English garden, taking in Captain Cook, Carl Linnaeus, and the simultaneous rise of the British Empire and flower arranging - a delightful look at horticultural history
—— Scotland on SundayAs Wulf triumphantly shows, plants and gardens reveal a wider view of the forces that shape society ... An antidote to dry garden history; rarely has the story of English plants been told with such vigour, and such fun
—— Jennifer Potter , TLSThe best book this year is The Brother Gardeners: Botany, Empire and the Birth of an Obsession
—— Leo Hollis , Independent on SundayAndrea Wulf has written a wonderful book, using a clutch of fascinating men to remind us the British Empire was once as much about white pine and Camellia japonica as it was about guns and steel ... enthralling story ... brilliantly readable book
—— Kathryn Hughes , Mail on Sunday