A Sketch of the Life and Labours of Sir William Jackson Hooker, K.H., D.C.L. Oxon., F.R.S., F.L.S., etc. Director of the Royal Gardens of Kew. 1903. (Reprint 2010). (Cambridge Library Collections, Life Sciences). illus. 90 p. gr8vo. Paper bd.

Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865) was an eminent British botanistwho is best known for expanding and developing the Royal BotanicGardens at Kew into a leading centre of botanic research and conservation. After undertaking botanical expeditions to Iceland andacross Europe, he was appointed Regius Professor of Botany at GlasgowUniversity in 1820, where he proved to be a popular lecturer andestablished the Royal Botanical Institution of Glasgow. In 1841 Hookerwas appointed the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew,a position he held until his death. This volume, written by his son, theequally renowned botanist Sir Joseph Hooker (1817-1911) and first published in 1903, provides an intimate biography of his life. Hooker'sbotanic expeditions, his experiences at Glasgow, and relations betweenleading members of the scientific community are recounted, together withvivid descriptions of his labours and improvements at Kew. Contents:Norwich and Halesworth, 1785-1820 / Glasgow, 1820-1840 / West Park andKew, 1841-1865.