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Francis Kingdon Ward Books

    Frank Kingdon-Ward was an English botanist and adventurer who dedicated nearly fifty years to expeditions in remote parts of Asia, including Tibet, northwestern China, and Myanmar. His extensive plant collections, featuring discoveries like the first viable seeds of the Himalayan blue poppy, significantly enriched the botanical world. Beyond his scientific pursuits, he was also involved in clandestine operations for the British India Office and survived numerous perilous situations that would deter most. Kingdon-Ward's legacy endures not only in botany but also in the species named in his honor and his vivid accounts of exploration.

    On the road to Tibet
    A Plant Hunter in Tibet
    On the Road to Tibet. Reprinted From a Series of Articles in the "Shanghai Mercury."
    The Land of the Blue Poppy: Travels of a Naturalist in Eastern Tibet
    The Land of the Blue Poppy

    • The Land of the Blue Poppy

      • 392 pages
      • 14 hours of reading
      3.4(5)Add rating

      The narrative focuses on a remarkable solo plant-collecting expedition in 1911, set in the mountainous region of southwestern China. Richly illustrated, the book captures the adventure and challenges faced by the collector, highlighting the diverse flora encountered and the significance of this expedition in botanical history. It provides insight into the exploration of uncharted territories and the dedication to uncovering the natural world's wonders.

      The Land of the Blue Poppy

    • A Plant Hunter in Tibet

      • 364 pages
      • 13 hours of reading

      This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

      A Plant Hunter in Tibet

    • On the road to Tibet

      Frank Kingdon-Ward was born Francis Kingdon Ward (no hyphen) on 6th november 1885 in Manchester. In his first adventure he was offered a place on a zoological expedition led by an American and funded by the Duke of Bedford to search for new species in western China. He agonised over the decision for about a nanosecond before taking extended leave from his school in Shanghai (where he had a job as a teacher) and joining the Bedford expedition up the Yangtze. On this trip he discovered a new species of mouse and two new shrews as well as sending back a small collection of plants to Cambridge. With his first publication "On the road to Tibet” which is reprinted here for the first time he was elected fellow of the Royal geographical society. As a consequence he was asked to collect hardy plants from Yunnan and Tibet to grow in English gardens. He brought back about 200 different species including 22 new to science.

      On the road to Tibet