This account of plant-hunter and explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward's 1933 expedition to the southeastern corner of Tibet was as significant for his geographic revelations as it was for the wealth of plant species with which he returned. On this journey Kingdon-Ward reached as far as the Salween River, a particularly remote area of Tibet not previously known or mapped in the West. His lively descriptions of the grand mountain ranges he traversed, the hardships overcome and the plants, fauna and people he encountered are complemented by spectacular photographs. The recollection of such adventures as his sojourn in a remote Buddhist gompa, the frontier justice meted out to a suspected murderer and many other tales enroute make this a gripping and informative read for the Tibetologist, botanist and armchair explorer alike. In all, Ward made a total of twenty two expeditions spanning a period of some forty five years, in western China, northern Burma, Assam and south-eastern Tibet; much of this travel involved extreme hardship and was undertaken at great risk to his health and personal safety.

Plant Hunter in Tibet, Frank Kingdon-Ward, Orchid Press, Paperback, 1934 / 2006, 317 Pages, $26.00

Frank Kingdon Ward (1885-1958), OBE, the son of a leading British research botanist and professor, graduated with honors from Cambridge in Natural Sciences. In 1911, he was engaged by a British horticultural firm to collect specimens in Yunnan, an assignment which began for Ward a lifelong career as a professional explorer and plant collector.