The Collector

“Jack Nisbet’s brisk, thrilling accoun allows us to walk, ride, and paddle along with David Douglas, the tireless nineteenth-century Scotsman whose name is attached to Cascadia’s iconic fir. Nisbet takes us on the ultimate naturalist’s tour of a largely


“In telling Douglas’ story, Nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances.”
—Bookmarks Magazine


“…a compelling look into what the world here was like just before widespread white settlement.”
—The Inlander


“Nisbet gracefully and concisely traces Douglas’ journey from a gardener’s apprentice in Scotland to a young botanist-collector.”
—The Spokesman-Review


“…an exhilarating biography that provides an entertaining portrait of the unfettered determination that drove one of the giants in the field of botanical exploration and infused the young nation he viewed with a keen and zealous spirit.”
—Booklist


“Nisbet’s well-researched narrative has considerable bounce and drama… It’s a portrait of a true adventurer…a solid piece of scholarship and synthesis.”
—Kirkus Reviews

JACK NISBETis a historian, teacher, and author focusing on the intersection of human history and natural history in the Pacific Northwest. His books includeSources of the River(recipient of the Washington Governor’s Award and winner of the Murray Morgan Prize from the Washington State Historical Society),The Mapmaker’s Eye(named one of The Best Nonfiction Books of the Year byThe Seattle Times), andVisible Bones. He lives in Spokane, Washington.

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