The Busiest Man in England: The Life of Joseph Paxton, Gardener, Architect, and Victorian Visionary

by Kate Colquhoun

Book Overview

The pre-eminent Victorian was Joseph Paxton who bestrode the worlds of horticulture, urban planning, and architecture like a colossus. He was a self-taught polymath who had a solution to every large-scale logistical problem, the genius Charles Dickens dubbed "The Busiest Man in England."

Rising quickly from humble beginnings, Paxton, at age 23, became head gardener and architect at Chatsworth, the estate of the sixth Duke of Devonshire...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1567923011
• ISBN13: 9781567923018
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
• Length: 303 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

An outstanding, detailed production displays the prowess of a fine writer.

THE BUSIEST MAN IN ENGLAND: A LIFE OF JOSEPH PAXTON, GARDENER, ARCHITECT & VICTORIAN VISIONARY tells of an 1800s Victorian pragmatist who worked in horticulture, urban planning and architecture and solved everything from big problems to small design issues. At only 23 years he became heard gardener and architect at the Derbyshire estate of the sixth duke of Devonshire, changing it to one of the most extraordinary garden concepts in the country. Given his vast influence and local fame, it's surprising no detailed biographical sketch has been produced before THE BUSIEST MAN IN ENGLAND. Kate Colquhoun uses personal papers and extensive research to provide a well-rounded biography of the man's personal and public life alike - and amazingly, it's her first book. An outstanding, detailed production displays the prowess of a fine writer. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch