Leucojum vernum - spring snowflake

“A delightful read.” — Wall Street Journal

This is the history of the tulip, from its origins on the barren, windswept steppes of central Asia to its place of honor in the lush imperial gardens of Constantinople, to its starring moment as the most coveted — and beautiful — commodity in Europe. Historian Mike Dash vividly narrates the story of this amazing flower and the colorful cast of characters — Turkish sultans, Yugoslav soldiers, French botanists, and Dutch tavern keepers — who were centuries apart historically and worlds apart culturally, but who all had one thing in common: tulipomania.Amazon.com Review: For history buffs or gardeners who enjoy more than just digging in the dirt, Tulipomania presents a fascinating look at the tulip frenzy that took place in Holland in the mid-1600s. Beginning as gifts given among the wealthy and educated folk of Europe and Asia, the tulip rapidly became a source of incredible financial gain--similar to today's Internet start-up companies or Beanie Baby collections. Stories of craftsmen discontinuing their trade and focusing on raising tulips for public auction, where they sold for prices comparable to that of a manor house, are astonishing. Poets, moralists, businessmen--it seems everyone was involved at some level.

Lack of regulation and poor quality control were just a couple of the details that led to the abrupt crash in February 1637. Tulipomania was the original market bust--people were ruined, debts went unpaid. It was a disaster similar to the stock-market crash of 1929. A brief resurrection of the mania occurred 65 years later in Istanbul, and while it was not the financial obsession Holland experienced, it led to the creation of standards in flower shape and increased the development of new types. You don't need to be obsessed to enjoy this book--an interest in tulips, history, and the futures market ensures that this will be a remarkable read. --Jill Lightner
Publisher: Thorndike Press (2001-08)
Price: $29.95

TULIPS, is full of fascinating and useful information for the avid tulip gardener, including: where tulips came from, the great variety of tulips today, the many different uses to which tulips can be put, and much more.