The Plant Hunter: ''A great adventure'' William Boyd

1867. King''s Road, Chelsea, is a sea of plant nurseries, catering to the Victorian obsession with rare and exotic flora. But each of the glossy emporiums is fuelled by the dangerous world of the plant hunters - daring adventurers sent into uncharted lands in search of untold wonders to grace England''s finest gardens.

Harry Compton is as far from a plant hunter as one could imagine - a salesman plucked from the obscurity of the nursery growing fields to become ''the face that sold a thousand plants''.

But one small act of kindness sees him inherit a precious gift - a specimen of a fabled tree last heard of in The Travels of Marco Polo, and a map.

Seizing his chance for fame and fortune, Harry sets out to make his mark. But where there is wealth there is corruption, and soon Harry is fleeing England, rounding the Cape of Good Hope and sailing up the Yangtze alongside a young widow - both in pursuit of the plant that could transform both their lives forever.
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Reviews for The Plant Hunter:

''A great Stevensonian adventure with a 21st-century spin. The detail and the textures are exemplary: lightly worn but dripping with atmosphere and exotic life. Brilliantly achieved'' William Boyd

''A feast for the senses and a must for every reader who enjoys great adventure writing. Be swept away'' Imogen Robertson

''Engages, informs and entertains, while taking the reader to distant, unexpected places. Highly recommended'' Mick Herron

''It''s excellent. No other word for it. A beautiful, charming book that stays in the mind long after you''ve closed it and put it away. I was delighted by it'' John Simpson

''Carried along by the drama, the history, the travel, the romance, the love of a dog, let alone the plant-hunting. I couldn''t put this down'' Sarah Raven

''It is a belter!'' Jessie Childs, author of God''s Traitors: Terror and Faith in Elizabethan England

''A terrific swash-and-buckle adventure. The detail is eye-opening, the story gripping and unusual. Bravo!'' Elizabeth Buchan

''A good adventure story, a ripping yarn of a tale'' Country Life