The Busiest Man in England: The Life of Joseph Paxton, Gardener, Architect, and Victorian Visionary Hardcover – Illustrated, March 1, 2006

I read about Paxton' magnificent Crystal Palace for the first time in the delightful "At Home" by Bill Bryson, and the way he presented this exceptional Victorian self-made man, prompted me to order immediately a biography of the chap. Kate Colquhoun's book "The Busiest Man in England" is the latest of a few biographies.The book is really good, well researched, full of references and incidental episodes that bring Joseph Paxton to life. From the beginning of his life as a gardener in the sixth Duke of Devonshire's proprieties to Member of Parliament and requested public man. Accompanying Paxton through his life we come in contact with all the transformations of the English Society from 1810 to 1860. The young but already very practical gardener had the fortune of working for the Duke of Devonshire William Spencer Cavendish, one of the richest and most cultivated men of the day. Son of the famous Giorgiana he took a liking to his young gardener probably because of his nice character, great will power and accomplishments but also because he had a clear voice that could be well understood by the Duke that was a little hard of hearing. Their friendship was the leitmotiv of both their lives and of the memories and legacy they left behind, but it was also the fortune of Joseph Paxton because it gave him the opportunity to utilize the D uke's great fortune and splendid proprieties to build new structures like immense and varied greenhouses (The famous Great Stove at Chatsworth), rockeries, design landscaping by gardening but also to know most of the cultural intellighentia of the period. The first decades of the 1800's saw in England a craze for botany with an introduction of new exotic plants every moment, sponsored journeys into foreign countries to retrieve rare species. Among these the Amherstia, the Giant Water Lily, the dwarf banana (Musa cavendishii) and the many orchids that ignited competitions without end. Paxton was implicated in all these gardening feats loving his plants but at the same time putting his intelligence to work on methods to transplant gigantic trees, devise new techniques to put together glass panes for greenhouses, build fountains with higher and higher water jets, and publish various Botanical Journals and Books.Slowly but constantly rising in public opinion he became counsellor to many nobles and wealthy people. During the 1851 Exposition, while England was confused and undecided as to what to build to house the Fair, he came up with the idea of a gigantic glass structure and convinced the nation. Paxton's Crystal Palace was a major building that outlasted the Exposition and represented a London landmark for decades. Elected Member of Parliament he successively participated to major projects from sending auxiliary help to the Crimean soldiers, to building villages, parks, sewage systems. During his whole life he also enriched his family with judicious and at the same time audacious investments in the expanding railroad industry. After the 1851 Exposition Queen Victoria knighted him.Colquhoun's biography is an important book, well illustrated and with an extensive bibliography. It is easy to read and enjoyable also to the non expert. If I must make a small criticism it does not completely convey Paxton's character as to his family ties and maybe his everyday personality, the character comes out as a little cold and at the end of the book we know all he has done, but maybe we don't know "him" as well.And if you are a gardener, an expert in plants, a fan of architecture, a lover of historical biographies don't miss it.

Great history and sociological material in addition to the cultural/architectural relevance. Good clear writing.

A wonderful book that will forever remind me of what it was that made Britain great.

I found this to be a very well written biography of Joseph Paxton and his Crystal Palace. As an engineer I would have liked to see bit more on the architecture of the palace. This book is also a who's who of mid 19th century London. And if you are a lover of flowers you will appreciate the numerous descriptions of the many exotic plants that Paxton was able to cultivate in his hot houses. I can strongly recommend this book.

For somebody not widely known outside specialist interest groups of garden history and civil- engineering,heres someone that makes one proud of Britains Victorian heritage

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I could not put it down and has inspired me to find out more about him

Enjoyed the book. Fascinating man.