Awards

• Long-listed for HWA Crowns 2019 (UK)

Overview

A richly illustrated and award-winning Japanese biography, history and exploration of cherry blossom told through the life of an English amateur botanist, rewritten for English readers The irresistible story of Japanese cherry blossoms, threatened by political ideology and saved by an unknown Englishman 'This is not just a tale of trees, but of . . . endeavour, war and reconciliation' Sunday Times Collingwood Ingram, born in 1880, became known as 'Cherry' for his defining obsession. As a young man, he travelled to Japan and learned of the astonishing displays of cherry blossoms, or sakura. On a return visit in 1926, Ingram witnessed frightening changes to the country's cherry population. A cloned variety was sweeping the landscape and being used as a symbol for Japan's expansionist ambitions. Determined to protect the diversity of the trees, Ingram began sending the rare varieties from his own garden in England back to Japan with the help of a network of 'cherry guardians'. This is an eloquent portrait of an extraordinary man whose legacy we enjoy every spring, and his unsung place in botanic history. 'Engrossing . . . A portrait of great charm and sophistication' Christopher Harding, Guardian Winner of the 2020 Award for Excellence from The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries

Full Product Details

9781784706920

Table of Contents

Reviews

Set against the narrative arc of Japanese history, journalist Naoko Abe's account of the man behind the preservation of her country's national symbol is both sympathetic and compelling... On reading this book, beautifully illustrated with atmospheric period shots and colour plates, you may well determine, as I have, to visit Japan at cherry blossom time -- Vanessa Berridge * Sunday Express * [A] deeply moving book -- beautifully written, and a huge achievement in terms of research -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * The Spectator * A remarkable book...excellent...fascinating, a treat for gardeners, cherry-growers and historians -- Robin Lane Fox * Financial Times * Sympathetic and engrossing... a portrait of great charm and sophistication, rich in its natural and historical range, guaranteeing that you won't look at cherry blossoms the same way again -- Dr Christopher Harding * Guardian * This is not just a tale of trees, but of the symbolism of the cherry tree to Japan: of endeavour, war and reconciliation * Sunday Times, Books of the Year *

Sympathetic and engrossing... a portrait of great charm and sophistication, rich in its natural and historical range, guaranteeing that you won't look at cherry blossoms the same way again -- Dr Christopher Harding * Guardian * A remarkable book...excellent...fascinating, a treat for gardeners, cherry-growers and historians -- Robin Lane Fox * Financial Times * [A] deeply moving book -- beautifully written, and a huge achievement in terms of research -- Claire Kohda Hazelton * The Spectator * Set against the narrative arc of Japanese history, journalist Naoko Abe's account of the man behind the preservation of her country's national symbol is both sympathetic and compelling... On reading this book, beautifully illustrated with atmospheric period shots and colour plates, you may well determine, as I have, to visit Japan at cherry blossom time -- Vanessa Berridge * Sunday Express * [A] lovely book... Two tensions animate this book: the difficulty of sending fragile scions around the world and successfully grafting them; and the wrenching historical context... It is hard to view the blossoms of the somei-yashino with such tender joy after reading Ms Abe's book * Economist *

Author Information

Naoko Abe (Author) Naoko Abe is a Japanese journalist and non-fiction writer. She was the first female political writer to cover the prime minister's office, the foreign ministry and the defence ministry at Mainichi Shimbun, one of Japan's largest newspapers. Since moving to London with her British husband and their two boys in 2001, she has worked as a freelance writer and has published five books in Japanese. Her biography of Collingwood Ingram in Japanese won the prestigious Nihon Essayist Club Award in 2016. She has now written an adaptation of the book for English-language readers. She is a trained classical pianist and an advanced yoga practitioner.

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