SKU: 8664388331

A Thing in Disguise

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A Thing in DisguiseA brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the

A brilliantly conceived biography of Joseph Paxton, horticulturist to the Duke & Duchess of Devonshire at Chatsworth, architect of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and one of the greatest unsung heroes of the Victorian Age

In the nineteenth century, which witnessed a revolution in horticulture and urban planning and architecture, Joseph Paxton, a man with no formal education, strode like a colossus. Head gardener at Chatsworth by the age of twenty-three, and encouraged by the sixth Duke of Devonshire whose patronage soon flourished into the defining friendship of his life, Paxton set about transforming this Derbyshire estate into the greatest garden in England. Visitors there were astonished by the enormous glasshouses and ambitious waterworks he built, the collection of orchids, the largest in all England, the dwarf bananas and the gargantuan lily, the trees and plants brought back from all over the world. Queen Victoria came to marvel and, increasingly, with the development of the railway in which Paxton was also involved, daytrippers from all over the country.

It was the Crystal Palace, home of the Great Exhibition in 1851, that secured Paxton's fame. His design, initially doodled on a piece of blotting paper, was the architectural triumph of its time. Two thousand men worked for eight months to complete it. It was six times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, enclosed a space of 18 acres, and entertained six million visitors. By the time of his death fourteen years later, 'the busiest man in England' according to Dickens, was friends with Brunel and Stevenson and in constant demand to design public parks and gardens. His last, seemingly most eccentric project was for a Great Boulevard under glass, a crystal arcade that would connect all the main railway termini in London.

Drawing on exclusive access to Paxton's personal letters, Kate Colquhouns's remarkable biography is a compelling story of a man who typifies the Victorian ideal of self-improvement and a touching portrait of one of that era's great heroes.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Published: 09/11/2009
ISBN: 9780007143542
Pages: 320
Weight: 0.81lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.76d
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SKU: 8664388331

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Penelope
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 5
Great book a must have
Format: Paperback
Added to my collection. Great book
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Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2026
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Christopher M.
Draper, US
★★★★★ 5
Good history and informative
Awesome read!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2026
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Hermès Trismegistus
New York, US
★★★★★ 5
Untold Historical Legend!
Format: Paperback
This book tells the story of one of the greatest American heroes, Robert F. Williams. Robert F. Williams life and acts of heroism should be taught in every school and his name should be as well known as the names of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. This book details the life of Williams and the tragic events that led to him becoming an activist during the Civil Rights Movement. It’s a short book and is less than 100 pages long. It’s a quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about American history and one of America’s greatest hero who has been erased from history books until now.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2025
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Larry D
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Great, necessary read
Format: Hardcover
One of the greatest forgotten stories of the civil rights struggle in America. Major influence on the Black Panther Party, was a required read for initiation when it started.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2024
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brianpowell
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 5
Raja yoga
Format: Paperback
Best book to read. I definitely would recommend it to anyone interested in yoga.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2026

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