About this item
At once delicate, exotic, and elegant, orchids are beloved for their singular, instantly recognizable beauty. Found in nearly every climate, the many species of orchid have carried symbolic weight in countless cultures over time. The ancient Greeks associated them with fertility and thought that parents who ingested orchid root tubers could control the sex of their child. During the Victorian era, orchids became deeply associated with romance and seduction. And in twentieth-century hard-boiled detective stories, they transformed into symbols of decadence, secrecy, and cunning. What is it about the orchid that has enthralled the imagination for so many centuries? And why do they still provoke so much wonder? Following the stories of orchids throughout history, Jim Endersby divides our attraction to them into four key themes: science, empire, sex, and death.
About the Author
I was born in Kent, an unreasonably long time ago, and such little growing up as I have done happened there and in Kenya (where my father worked for the UN Development Project) . I failed A level history (actually, I failed mock A-level history; the school wouldn't even let me sit the real exam) , then went to two art schools, which I dropped out of four times in total. I worked as a graphic designer for various lost causes and then moved to Australia. I was getting profoundly bored with graphic design when my oldest friend introduced me to the work of Stephen Jay Gould. From there it was short step to studying history and philosophy of science.
I am married with two children and live in Sussex, UK.
