The Multifarious Mr. Banks : From Botany Bay to Kew, The Natural Historian Who Shaped the World

A fascinating life of Sir Joseph Banks which restores him to his proper place in history as a leading scientific figure of the English Enlightenment“An extensive, admiring account of his subject’s circuitous route to fame and power.”-Wall Street Journal“Readers interested in the British Enlightenment, the history of science, or the lives of great figures who played leading roles in England’s emergence as a global presence will enjoy this highly informative book.”-Choice As official botanist on James Cook's first circumnavigation, the longest-serving president of the Royal Society, advisor to King George III, the "father of Australia," and the man who established Kew as the world's leading botanical garden, Sir Joseph Banks was integral to the English Enlightenment.Yet he has not received the recognition that his multifarious achievements deserve. In this engaging account, Toby Musgrave reveals the true extent of Banks’s contributions to science and Britain.From an early age Banks pursu