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The Collector: David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest
Equal parts biography, natural history, and travelogue, Jack Nisbet tells the story of David Douglas, the 19th century Scottish naturalist and botanical explorer—perfect for amateur naturalists and armchair historians of the Pacific Northwest The Collector tracks Douglas's fascinating history, from his humble birth in Scotland in 1799 to his botanical training under the famed William Jackson Hooker, and details his adventures in North America discovering exotic new plants for the English and European market. Douglas's discoveries include hundreds of western plants--most notably the Douglas Fir. The book takes readers along on Douglas's journeys into a literal brave new world of then-obscure realms from Puget Sound to the Sandwich Islands. “In telling Douglas's story, Nisbet evokes a lost world of early exploration, pristine nature, ambition, and cultural and class conflict with surprisingly modern resonances.” Bookmarks Magazine "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
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 13, 2020
I picked up this book because I have been interested in 1800s travel dialogues like Dana jrs Two Years Before the Mast , Melvilles assorted south seas novels, and Reynolds diary of the American expedition force. The Collector managed to scratch that itch for my interest in exploration of the PNW.
It is not a direct publication of the apparent multitude of journals and letters Douglas wrote during his times on the Columbia. Instead, Nisbet creates a narrative of Douglas travels and liberally quotes from his journals and a variety of other sources. It works well for what it is. His research shines through when describing Douglas' second trip to the Columbia, his adventures in California, and bizzare death in Hawaii. Here he has to fashion his narrative in more creative ways as all of Douglas' journals from this trip are no longer extant.
Nisbet writes in a whirlwind, especially in the latter half of the book. Places come and go quickly as he summarizes the major strokes. Interjections from Nisbet are few and far between. But his own brief comments are well placed and add a bit of sentimentality or humor. There is an interesting bit of folklore about Douglas getting a metis woman pregnant and the musings of what happened outside of what Douglas chose to record.
Overall, it was a competent biography. Not overly spectacular but still interesting to the right audience. I described it to a friend as a book you would find in a B&B or small gift shop anywhere along the coast of Washington and BC (which is where I found it when on vacation). Just picture a lot of drift wood, shells, stained glass, and kitschy handcrafted art pieces and you get the picture. Theres an unmistakable aura of the PNW coast vibe to it. The history of the small places and the regions where time slows down and people are friendly. That golden zone north of the 44th. Now I'm just reminiscing.
Would I recommend this widely? No. But if you're interested in botany, exploration of the Pacific or general history of the PNW then I would say go for it.
It is not a direct publication of the apparent multitude of journals and letters Douglas wrote during his times on the Columbia. Instead, Nisbet creates a narrative of Douglas travels and liberally quotes from his journals and a variety of other sources. It works well for what it is. His research shines through when describing Douglas' second trip to the Columbia, his adventures in California, and bizzare death in Hawaii. Here he has to fashion his narrative in more creative ways as all of Douglas' journals from this trip are no longer extant.
Nisbet writes in a whirlwind, especially in the latter half of the book. Places come and go quickly as he summarizes the major strokes. Interjections from Nisbet are few and far between. But his own brief comments are well placed and add a bit of sentimentality or humor. There is an interesting bit of folklore about Douglas getting a metis woman pregnant and the musings of what happened outside of what Douglas chose to record.
Overall, it was a competent biography. Not overly spectacular but still interesting to the right audience. I described it to a friend as a book you would find in a B&B or small gift shop anywhere along the coast of Washington and BC (which is where I found it when on vacation). Just picture a lot of drift wood, shells, stained glass, and kitschy handcrafted art pieces and you get the picture. Theres an unmistakable aura of the PNW coast vibe to it. The history of the small places and the regions where time slows down and people are friendly. That golden zone north of the 44th. Now I'm just reminiscing.
Would I recommend this widely? No. But if you're interested in botany, exploration of the Pacific or general history of the PNW then I would say go for it.
January 25, 2023
Very readable biography of Scottish botanist David Douglas, with the largest section of the book by far about his second botanical expedition to North America, an expedition for the London Horticultural Society, his first of two to the Pacific Northwest, from July 1824 to October 1827. There is also coverage of an earlier trip in eastern North America (several months in 1823, largely visiting New York and a small part of eastern Canada, when among other things he met Governor DeWitt Clinton and traveled the Erie Canal) and his second trip to the Pacific Northwest (leaving England in October 1829), a trip which resulted in further explorations of the area around the Columbia River, around San Francisco, and several explorations of Hawaii. The book closed with his last trip, to Hawaii, where he died under mysterious circumstances in 1834 while climbing Mauna Kea on the main island of Hawaii (he was age 35), the author discussing at length whether or not Douglas met his end because of an accident or because of foul play.
It's hard to overestimate the scientific importance of Douglas’ tours of the Pacific Northwest, as he was the first naturalist to visit large areas of the region and this coming a mere two decades after the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The book has some nice and non-technical coverage of Douglas’ natural history legacy, as in addition to discovering many species of plants and bringing hundreds of species back to Europe to be cultivated, he also made a number of important zoological discoveries and did some important survey work and mountaineering. Over eighty species of plants and animals honor him with their scientific names and several more with their common names, such as the Douglas Fir, arguably the organism most often thought of when someone says Douglas, though ironically the scientific name for the species honors a different naturalist. It was neat to read about all the plant species he discovered, that he was the first to collect and send on to Europe to be cultivated, and the quest for a number made for interesting reading, such as the tremendous amount of effort he went to find and then obtain pinecones of the Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana), a species Douglas discovered and named for English botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert.
There is also coverage of the animals he discovered, with one of my favorites a species of horned lizard, whose scientific name today honors Douglas. Though he was in the era of “there is a bird, blast it!” and Douglas definitely shot him some birds (including several bald eagles), he was also a keen observer of bird behavior and much of that is also included in the book. I especially enjoyed his observations about California condors, which could be found in the Pacific Northwest at that point in history, as well as other species such as long-billed curlews, Steller’s jays, several species of grouse (which he took particular interest in), and on his ocean voyages, the wandering albatross (with Douglas writing how they soar “with the greatest gracefulness”).
More than just reading about his scientific discoveries, the book also does a great job of conveying what the Northwest was like before widespread settlement, when the land still largely belonged to the Native Americans, with few outsiders, mainly Scots like himself, Americans, French-Canadians, and to my surprise Hawaiians and Iroquois, all thin on the ground and largely there as part of the fur industry. The heart of the book is about his second trip to North America and his first trip to the Pacific Northwest, an expedition where he had the most success and on which he made his greatest discoveries and had his greatest adventures. Not a quiet book on botany by any means, the book talks about the “Grass Man” or “man of flowers” (so called because of his botanical interest, much noted by Europeans, Americans, and Native Americans) as he traveled sometimes alone throughout the Pacific Northwest from the rainy coast to the arid deserts of the Columbia Plateau, climbing mountains and crossing rivers. He lost equipment (including specimens many many times), got robbed, had interesting encounters with wildlife (several times eating his precious plant or animal specimens while he slept or was away), got lost, dealt with an epidemic, and had a number of interesting and potentially quite dangerous encounters with a number of Native Americans, often when there was no way to actually speak to them due to no shared languages as well as made friendships (a notable one was a fellow Scot and also a fellow student on the great William Jackson Hooker, a man named John Scouler, who Douglas met on one of his trips to North America, Scouler, though a keen botanist, was serving as the ship’s surgeon on board the _William and Ann_).
The encounters with Native American tribes (Palus, Nez Perce, Spokane, Kootenai, Chinook, Kalapuya, Umpqua) and individuals (Cockqua, a Chinook chief, and Chief Comcomly, also a Chinook chief, among others), were a highlight of the book, the time Douglas spent with them, traveling with them, forming friendships, sometimes things that were definitely not friendships, visiting their villages and homes, briefly getting involved in intertribal politics, sampling their food, from “the dark sweet taste of baked camus” to salmon to black lichen cakes, often foods later settlers would never taste or even know about and providing Douglas with further insights into the rich flora of the region.
There are some nice maps in the book, as well as a bibliography, chapter notes, and a really nice index.
It's hard to overestimate the scientific importance of Douglas’ tours of the Pacific Northwest, as he was the first naturalist to visit large areas of the region and this coming a mere two decades after the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The book has some nice and non-technical coverage of Douglas’ natural history legacy, as in addition to discovering many species of plants and bringing hundreds of species back to Europe to be cultivated, he also made a number of important zoological discoveries and did some important survey work and mountaineering. Over eighty species of plants and animals honor him with their scientific names and several more with their common names, such as the Douglas Fir, arguably the organism most often thought of when someone says Douglas, though ironically the scientific name for the species honors a different naturalist. It was neat to read about all the plant species he discovered, that he was the first to collect and send on to Europe to be cultivated, and the quest for a number made for interesting reading, such as the tremendous amount of effort he went to find and then obtain pinecones of the Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana), a species Douglas discovered and named for English botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert.
There is also coverage of the animals he discovered, with one of my favorites a species of horned lizard, whose scientific name today honors Douglas. Though he was in the era of “there is a bird, blast it!” and Douglas definitely shot him some birds (including several bald eagles), he was also a keen observer of bird behavior and much of that is also included in the book. I especially enjoyed his observations about California condors, which could be found in the Pacific Northwest at that point in history, as well as other species such as long-billed curlews, Steller’s jays, several species of grouse (which he took particular interest in), and on his ocean voyages, the wandering albatross (with Douglas writing how they soar “with the greatest gracefulness”).
More than just reading about his scientific discoveries, the book also does a great job of conveying what the Northwest was like before widespread settlement, when the land still largely belonged to the Native Americans, with few outsiders, mainly Scots like himself, Americans, French-Canadians, and to my surprise Hawaiians and Iroquois, all thin on the ground and largely there as part of the fur industry. The heart of the book is about his second trip to North America and his first trip to the Pacific Northwest, an expedition where he had the most success and on which he made his greatest discoveries and had his greatest adventures. Not a quiet book on botany by any means, the book talks about the “Grass Man” or “man of flowers” (so called because of his botanical interest, much noted by Europeans, Americans, and Native Americans) as he traveled sometimes alone throughout the Pacific Northwest from the rainy coast to the arid deserts of the Columbia Plateau, climbing mountains and crossing rivers. He lost equipment (including specimens many many times), got robbed, had interesting encounters with wildlife (several times eating his precious plant or animal specimens while he slept or was away), got lost, dealt with an epidemic, and had a number of interesting and potentially quite dangerous encounters with a number of Native Americans, often when there was no way to actually speak to them due to no shared languages as well as made friendships (a notable one was a fellow Scot and also a fellow student on the great William Jackson Hooker, a man named John Scouler, who Douglas met on one of his trips to North America, Scouler, though a keen botanist, was serving as the ship’s surgeon on board the _William and Ann_).
The encounters with Native American tribes (Palus, Nez Perce, Spokane, Kootenai, Chinook, Kalapuya, Umpqua) and individuals (Cockqua, a Chinook chief, and Chief Comcomly, also a Chinook chief, among others), were a highlight of the book, the time Douglas spent with them, traveling with them, forming friendships, sometimes things that were definitely not friendships, visiting their villages and homes, briefly getting involved in intertribal politics, sampling their food, from “the dark sweet taste of baked camus” to salmon to black lichen cakes, often foods later settlers would never taste or even know about and providing Douglas with further insights into the rich flora of the region.
There are some nice maps in the book, as well as a bibliography, chapter notes, and a really nice index.
March 17, 2014
I had reservations when I started this book. How interesting could a biography of an early 19th century plant collector be? But I found the book fascinating, not for the plant specimens that Douglas carefully collected and sent home to the London Horticultural Society; rather for the adventures that Douglas underwent in the Pacific Northwest, an area that he visited barely twenty years after the Lewis and Clark expedition.
I began reading the book while recovering from surgery in the hospital. Obviously, I was in good enough condition to read, but I was still pretty uncomfortable. The book put my minor discomforts into perspective, though, when I read of the hardships that Douglas suffered. He cut his leg on a rusty nail and developed a serious infection. His hands and feet became blistered, the hot summer of what is now eastern Washington seared his eyes, causing them to bleed, and ultimately led to partial blindness. And of course, his limited diet caused bouts of diarrhea and dysentery. Even though he was only a young man when he did most of his work, he experienced all kinds of aches and pains, as well as the beginning of arthritic symptoms. He died at age 35 in l834.
What kept him going was an insatiable curiosity about new plant species which he would carefully gather, dry (not always easy in the wet climate west of the Cascades), and preserve for shipment back to England on the trading ships that came to the area. On more than a few occasions, he lost these specimens, either through mold, or in several cases they perished in river boat accidents. He collected well over four hundred of previously unknown plant specimens, over eighty of which his name is attached, the most famous one, of course, being the Douglas fir tree.
In his travels, Douglas kept a journal of his first four year excursion into the wilderness (notes for his second trip which began in l829, after he had returned to England between the two trips, unfortunately were lost). He was a laconic Scotsman, impressed by the vastness of the wilderness. He wrote, “Man feels himself as nothing – as if standing on the verge of another world.” As a traveler, he was impressed by “the extreme helplessness of his condition. . . utterly unworthy to stand in the presence of a great and good, and wise and holy God, and to conteplate the diversified works of His hands.”
He walked everywhere when he wasn’t traveling on the rivers, the highways of the region. At one point he traveled downstream on the Columbia eight hundred miles in only twelve days, an amazing feat when you think about it.
The author recounts Douglas’ encounters with the northwest Indians, most of whom were friendly and cooperative. These encounters occurred, though, before the malaria epidemics, coming from trading ships, which wiped out whole tribes along the lower Columbia in the 1830’s, and created hostility toward the whites. It’s a fascinating kind of history to read of sites along the Columbia River a century before it became a series of ponds backed up behind huge dams.
Kettle Falls, for example, now underwater behind Grand Coulee Dam, had been a natural fishing and trading center for centuries; the same is true of similarly submerged Celilo Falls on the lower Columbia. At the end of the book, there’s a realization of what a vast unspoiled region this area of North America was. An influx of settlers to this area was inevitable, but this book gives a sense of what it was like before they came.
I began reading the book while recovering from surgery in the hospital. Obviously, I was in good enough condition to read, but I was still pretty uncomfortable. The book put my minor discomforts into perspective, though, when I read of the hardships that Douglas suffered. He cut his leg on a rusty nail and developed a serious infection. His hands and feet became blistered, the hot summer of what is now eastern Washington seared his eyes, causing them to bleed, and ultimately led to partial blindness. And of course, his limited diet caused bouts of diarrhea and dysentery. Even though he was only a young man when he did most of his work, he experienced all kinds of aches and pains, as well as the beginning of arthritic symptoms. He died at age 35 in l834.
What kept him going was an insatiable curiosity about new plant species which he would carefully gather, dry (not always easy in the wet climate west of the Cascades), and preserve for shipment back to England on the trading ships that came to the area. On more than a few occasions, he lost these specimens, either through mold, or in several cases they perished in river boat accidents. He collected well over four hundred of previously unknown plant specimens, over eighty of which his name is attached, the most famous one, of course, being the Douglas fir tree.
In his travels, Douglas kept a journal of his first four year excursion into the wilderness (notes for his second trip which began in l829, after he had returned to England between the two trips, unfortunately were lost). He was a laconic Scotsman, impressed by the vastness of the wilderness. He wrote, “Man feels himself as nothing – as if standing on the verge of another world.” As a traveler, he was impressed by “the extreme helplessness of his condition. . . utterly unworthy to stand in the presence of a great and good, and wise and holy God, and to conteplate the diversified works of His hands.”
He walked everywhere when he wasn’t traveling on the rivers, the highways of the region. At one point he traveled downstream on the Columbia eight hundred miles in only twelve days, an amazing feat when you think about it.
The author recounts Douglas’ encounters with the northwest Indians, most of whom were friendly and cooperative. These encounters occurred, though, before the malaria epidemics, coming from trading ships, which wiped out whole tribes along the lower Columbia in the 1830’s, and created hostility toward the whites. It’s a fascinating kind of history to read of sites along the Columbia River a century before it became a series of ponds backed up behind huge dams.
Kettle Falls, for example, now underwater behind Grand Coulee Dam, had been a natural fishing and trading center for centuries; the same is true of similarly submerged Celilo Falls on the lower Columbia. At the end of the book, there’s a realization of what a vast unspoiled region this area of North America was. An influx of settlers to this area was inevitable, but this book gives a sense of what it was like before they came.
December 23, 2020
A straightforward, thorough biography of early 19th century naturalist David Douglas, who explored the natural history of the Pacific Northwest from around 1825-1835. Nisbet has made good use of the relatively few source materials available (most of Douglas's journal from his second trip was lost), and fills in the narrative with contemporary sources, including letters and articles written by Douglas's colleagues. The small number of Douglas's own writings and his early death (he did not have the chance to develop or publish a comprehensive view of nature) have relegated him to a somewhat obscure place compared to such contemporaries as Humboldt, Darwin, and Wallace, but he was a pioneer in classifying many species previously unknown to Western science. He may be best known now for the some of the plants named for him (look for plants with the species name douglasii), including the Douglas fir.
July 24, 2024
I had read an earlier book by Jack Nisbet on David Douglas (David Douglas, a Naturalist at Work: An Illustrated Exploration Across Two Centuries in the Pacific Northwest, which stirred my interest in this early 19th century botanist who traveled from Britain as a young man on several expeditions to collect and study the flora of North America.
Unlike the previous book that tended to skip about thematically, this book was a more detailed chronology of Douglas' all-t0-brief life. It sadly concludes with his untimely death under odd circumstances in Hawaii, where he was said to have fallen into an animal trap and mauled by a bullock.
David Douglas grew up interested in gardening and plants in Scotland, and learned from some fairly influential gardeners and botanists of that age until their bright and energetic student caught the attention of the London Horticultural Society. The society first funded and arranged a trip for Douglas to the state of New York, where he was whisked around not only various nurseries and natural areas of study, but also to various upstate cities with the blessings and friendship of Governor Clinton. This seemed to set a foundation for him as an avid traveler and energetic and well-organized naturalist collector. The society was so pleased with his collecting successes, they quickly sponsored another voyage, this time to the newly opened region of the Pacific Northwest and the Columbia River on the other side of the continent.
Having been born in southern British Columbia, the area's history, geology, flora and fauna have always been of great interest to me. Any well-written narrative, as Jack Nisbet's truly is, can capture my imagination, taking me back to what it must have been like for those early explorers and wanderers that came through the mostly empty region, sparsely populated by the various indigenous peoples that were present. David Douglas was essentially based in Fort Vancouver, now a suburb of Portland, OR, but he traveled extensively up and down the Columbia River, from Astoria to Spokane and beyond, collecting and cataloging hundreds of species that were all new to the British. Perhaps the most well-known is the pine tree that now carries his name, the Douglas Fir, which the British navy had a keen interest in as a natural resource. In a second later trip to the Pacific Northwest, again sponsored by the London Horticultural Society, Douglas even turned northward from the Columbia and came through the Okanagan on his was to the fur-trading regions of New Caledonia, the early name of British Columbia given by all of the Scottish fur trade personnel stationed there.
Jack Nisbet has brought David Douglas and his historical acquaintances to life, along with the sights and sounds of what this beautiful part of the earth was like nearly two hundred years ago. When you squint past the skyscrapers of Seattle and the freeways crisscrossing Washington, Oregon and Idaho, you still can see and feel the Pacific coastal rainforest giving way to the arid plains of the interior. All these species cataloged so long ago can still be found for those who have the patience to wander and look just slightly off the beaten path.
Unlike the previous book that tended to skip about thematically, this book was a more detailed chronology of Douglas' all-t0-brief life. It sadly concludes with his untimely death under odd circumstances in Hawaii, where he was said to have fallen into an animal trap and mauled by a bullock.
David Douglas grew up interested in gardening and plants in Scotland, and learned from some fairly influential gardeners and botanists of that age until their bright and energetic student caught the attention of the London Horticultural Society. The society first funded and arranged a trip for Douglas to the state of New York, where he was whisked around not only various nurseries and natural areas of study, but also to various upstate cities with the blessings and friendship of Governor Clinton. This seemed to set a foundation for him as an avid traveler and energetic and well-organized naturalist collector. The society was so pleased with his collecting successes, they quickly sponsored another voyage, this time to the newly opened region of the Pacific Northwest and the Columbia River on the other side of the continent.
Having been born in southern British Columbia, the area's history, geology, flora and fauna have always been of great interest to me. Any well-written narrative, as Jack Nisbet's truly is, can capture my imagination, taking me back to what it must have been like for those early explorers and wanderers that came through the mostly empty region, sparsely populated by the various indigenous peoples that were present. David Douglas was essentially based in Fort Vancouver, now a suburb of Portland, OR, but he traveled extensively up and down the Columbia River, from Astoria to Spokane and beyond, collecting and cataloging hundreds of species that were all new to the British. Perhaps the most well-known is the pine tree that now carries his name, the Douglas Fir, which the British navy had a keen interest in as a natural resource. In a second later trip to the Pacific Northwest, again sponsored by the London Horticultural Society, Douglas even turned northward from the Columbia and came through the Okanagan on his was to the fur-trading regions of New Caledonia, the early name of British Columbia given by all of the Scottish fur trade personnel stationed there.
Jack Nisbet has brought David Douglas and his historical acquaintances to life, along with the sights and sounds of what this beautiful part of the earth was like nearly two hundred years ago. When you squint past the skyscrapers of Seattle and the freeways crisscrossing Washington, Oregon and Idaho, you still can see and feel the Pacific coastal rainforest giving way to the arid plains of the interior. All these species cataloged so long ago can still be found for those who have the patience to wander and look just slightly off the beaten path.
April 3, 2015
Added new perspective to Oregon / Pacific Northwest history. Interesting man. Unexpected, in Hawaii ending.
In my childhood, David Douglas was the neighbor high school. Wish I had read the book in high school days, too. The Pacific Northwest in the 1820s by canoe, horse, foot ... collecting, and preparing for shipment to Britain.
Quote :
"VI. Sleeping on Shattered Stones - Summer 1826
"During the first week of June, the traders at Fort Colville packed the season's furs to ship downstream to Fort Vancouver. Douglas ... crated his latest treasures and climbed into a canoe ... 'as soon as our boats got into the current, they darted down the river with the velocity of an arrow just loosed from the bowstring.' ... After a mere half hours, they had covered eight miles ..."
Nisbet places quotes aptly
"'No language can convey an idea of the dexterity exhibited by the Canadian boatmen, who pass safely through rapids, whirlpools, and narrow channels ... where you think the next moment must dash the frail skiff and its burden of human beings to destruction against the steep rocks, these fellows approach and pass with an astonishing coolness and skill, encouraging themselves and one another with a lively and exulting boat-song.'
"L'Etang delivered the party to the mouth of the Spokane River by midafternoon, having covered a rollicking ninety miles in the space of eight hours."
Library of Congress catalogers assigned Dewey call# 508.975 : Natural History--Northwest, Pacific. Would likely receive more library shelf browser's notice if shelved with Biographies.
In my childhood, David Douglas was the neighbor high school. Wish I had read the book in high school days, too. The Pacific Northwest in the 1820s by canoe, horse, foot ... collecting, and preparing for shipment to Britain.
Quote :
"VI. Sleeping on Shattered Stones - Summer 1826
"During the first week of June, the traders at Fort Colville packed the season's furs to ship downstream to Fort Vancouver. Douglas ... crated his latest treasures and climbed into a canoe ... 'as soon as our boats got into the current, they darted down the river with the velocity of an arrow just loosed from the bowstring.' ... After a mere half hours, they had covered eight miles ..."
Nisbet places quotes aptly
"'No language can convey an idea of the dexterity exhibited by the Canadian boatmen, who pass safely through rapids, whirlpools, and narrow channels ... where you think the next moment must dash the frail skiff and its burden of human beings to destruction against the steep rocks, these fellows approach and pass with an astonishing coolness and skill, encouraging themselves and one another with a lively and exulting boat-song.'
"L'Etang delivered the party to the mouth of the Spokane River by midafternoon, having covered a rollicking ninety miles in the space of eight hours."
Library of Congress catalogers assigned Dewey call# 508.975 : Natural History--Northwest, Pacific. Would likely receive more library shelf browser's notice if shelved with Biographies.
June 13, 2018
A very interesting and readable book about a little-known explorer and botanist who explored the American Northwest, following the journals of Lewis and Clark, and finding French Canadian traders and American Indians as guides along his journey. He kept a journal and this book draws on the journal and also on other sources where he was mentioned in other diaries, journals, and histories. He made a strong impression where ever he went, being known among the Indians as "The Grass Man" because he collected plants and carefully dried them to be sent back to England. this is a window of the times--1823 to 1834. He describes what the various Indian tribes ate, especially the plants, and how they harvested and prepared them. He had a chance to go to Hawaii, which he did twice--the second time because the ship was going there instead of his preferred destination--what is now Alaska. He was particularly interested in the huge trees of North American, and the Douglas Fir was named after him. On his second journey to Hawaii, he died in a bazaar accident while in his early 30's. It's a sad ending, but he'd narrowly missed death on the frontier many times. But Douglas could have done so much more in his life, and one wishes he could have had a full, happy domestic life after all these wild adventures. A good read.
April 11, 2011
It's an interesting read, especially since I've been to some of the places where David Douglas collected seeds, etc. The writing is reasonably well done, if a bit quaint at times. At first I thought the book must have been written quite a while ago, as the author referred on several occasions, to women who were of "mixed blood." No similar references have yet been made about any of the men in the book. This did not detract sufficiently from the overall quality of the writing to encourage me to put the book down. David Douglas' energy and single-mindedness were impressive. We are lucky to have had people like him to discover so much to pass down to future nature-enthusiasts.
April 9, 2018
Really interesting biography of the man who named the Douglas fir and many other plants and critters in the Pacific Northwest. Really enjoyed reading this book. David Douglas was quite a pioneer, at times following the footsteps of Lewis and Clark, and interacting with many interesting people.
September 10, 2021
Those who live in the Pacific Northwest know the name of David Douglas, immortalized in our most common conifer, the Douglas fir. Those of us who are plant nerds also recognize his name in many of the plants we've shoe-horned into our increasingly-cramped gardens. The title chosen by Nisbet as his biography of Douglas is certainly appropos. Anyone who's ever gathered seeds hither and yon for seed exchanges or our own gardens will relate intimately with Douglas and his often-over-enthusiastic urge to acquire. I found it fascinating to follow the account of this man's journey around the northwest, imagining what it was like before the Oregon Trail brought thousands of additional people to the region, and before we laid roads, cleared forests, and so forth.
April 30, 2021
I'm glad I read this, but it was a little dry. I doubt those who aren't from the Northwest, or don't currently live in the Northwest, will find this compelling. But it was an interesting read over all, and gave me some things to think about as I practice my own nature study in the same area. Sources of the River (same author) is better.
July 3, 2025
God this makes me wanna run off into the mountains to look at plants, phenomenal read.
January 18, 2019
Very interesting book about a guy(David Douglas, after whom the Douglas Fir is named) from Scotland collecting plants and animals for Cheswick Gardens in London while exploring the Pacific Northwest 20 years after Lewis & Clark. Worth reading. Easier to read than Sources of the River by the same author. Although Sources is worth reading too.
July 7, 2011
Botany is not a field that I would ever have said was particularly interesting. I've never been driven to pick up a book on it or study it in more than the cursory way required in elementary school or general biology classes, but this book provides an interesting view of its importance in the establishment of modern science, as well as civilizations quest to place themselves in a knowable and established world. The story itself can be a bit dry a times, but Nisbet does an amazing job of summarizing and highlighting what must have been an extensive amount of information, as well as series of long lists into an enjoyable read. At the same time he draws connections to the larger issues of the time and the true importance of David Douglas' journey and finding in the larger context of the modern world. He does all this while at the same time providing a sense of what life was like in the Northwest during this era. Living in the area that Douglas travelled through I found myself often feeling echos of familiarity which made the book more resonate with me. Whether that would the be the case for someone that wasn't familiar with the Northwest I can't say, but it does speak to Nisbet's understanding of the region and Douglas' skill as an observer and narrator.
November 14, 2018
I'd have given it two stars for the writing but somehow I felt compelled enough to read this to the end. The book was given to me by a friend to read with a stack of others whilst convalescing - I HATE books that attempt to fictionalise a historic persons life or try to flesh out an account of happenings with tedious and assumed gap-filling. That's exactly what this book is - was left feeling like I'm a little philistine too silly and stupid to be able to read the original diaries straight from the source, so here's Jack Nisbet to feed them to us in patronising mouthfuls.
Recently though, I've been thinking about what humankind's purpose in Gaia's system is, and it's probably true that, at the end of the day, we are just glorified global seed-dispersers. I've also been pondering how limited modern Westerns diets are compared with what they "should be". There was a rumble in my tummy every time Douglas accounts his meals - all sorts of elk and bison and deer and river fish and fun sounding roots and tubers. Was also surprised to read about his nourishing relationships with the native peoples/Tribes before the rest of our race when and screwed that one up.
All in all, a passable romp on a particularly rainy day - if any of those subjects appeal to you.
Recently though, I've been thinking about what humankind's purpose in Gaia's system is, and it's probably true that, at the end of the day, we are just glorified global seed-dispersers. I've also been pondering how limited modern Westerns diets are compared with what they "should be". There was a rumble in my tummy every time Douglas accounts his meals - all sorts of elk and bison and deer and river fish and fun sounding roots and tubers. Was also surprised to read about his nourishing relationships with the native peoples/Tribes before the rest of our race when and screwed that one up.
All in all, a passable romp on a particularly rainy day - if any of those subjects appeal to you.
May 10, 2011
Many common plants in the Pacific northwest were first described by David Douglas. You can't look out a window here without seeing Douglas fir and Douglas spirea. I've wondered what the area was like when Douglas first came though. This book gives a taste of what Douglas experienced. An entry in his journal about a pack rat attempting to steal his inkstand rang especially true. Unfortunately not all of Douglas's journals survived so the material for the book I'd really like to read doesn't exist. The book seemed uneven, perhaps because parts of his life didn't interest me. I really enjoyed some sections though, especially the descriptions of areas I know along Willamette and the Columbia Rivers. Picturing California Condor above the Willamette Valley was a satisfying experience. In addition to gathering and classifying new species of plants and animals in what is now California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Douglas also explored in the Hawaiian Islands.
October 4, 2017
Other reviewers have complained that this is merely a retelling of David Douglass' field journals. They seem not to have written field journals themselves.
There's much more here. There is a whopping good story about the opening of northwestern North America. It's no high drama, it doesn't need to be. There are few high-stake moments. But the whole tale is, for Douglass, a high-stake moment. Outside of Britain he was never out of some danger, so his story might seem humdrum to us who take highways and plane travel for granted.
But it was also a very important story of a somewhat ordinary man with extraordinary luck and endurance in pursuing his passion.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history, natural history, or geography of the northwest. Also those interested in the history of science, particularly botany.
There's much more here. There is a whopping good story about the opening of northwestern North America. It's no high drama, it doesn't need to be. There are few high-stake moments. But the whole tale is, for Douglass, a high-stake moment. Outside of Britain he was never out of some danger, so his story might seem humdrum to us who take highways and plane travel for granted.
But it was also a very important story of a somewhat ordinary man with extraordinary luck and endurance in pursuing his passion.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history, natural history, or geography of the northwest. Also those interested in the history of science, particularly botany.
February 21, 2011
Really liked this book. Douglas is a fascinating character and this book brings alive his encounters with NW landscapes, plants and animals and his interactions with the native peoples and early settlers.
August 29, 2021
I added this to me reading list after visiting the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Devon, and seeing a fine specimen of Douglas Fir there. On the little plaque in front of the tree, along with some information about the plant, it also stated quite baldly that the tree was "named after David Douglas, a Scottish naturalist that died mysteriously in a bull pit in Hawaii". Enough to pique anyone's interest, I should think.
I was originally going to read his journals, so that I could see in his own words what happened. However, I realised that reading something written in the 1800s by a naturalist, and not necessarily written for public consumption, may end up being quite difficult and not all that fun. When researching him a bit more, I came upon this book, and thought that it should satiate my curiosity quite satisfactorily.
I was right. The book synthesises everything Douglas wrote, including the aforementioned journals but also letters to friends, replies, and the writings of those people who he met along his travels. It also includes far more context than I could ever have hoped to gain from the journals alone, including other happenings at the time in science and society. Nisbet seems to certainly be a fan of Douglas - I'm sure you'd have to be, to being an undertaking such as this - but does not cover his foibles, and even pokes some light-hearted fun at him at times. He does an excellent job of distilling the information from the journals, in their "dense, crabbed writing", to something easy and entertaining to read but still highly informative.
The doesn't hurt that the tale contained within is such an intriguing one. Douglas lived a life that is impossible to imagine recreating now: going into the wild, untouched-by-science frontier and staking a bold claim upon it. It's not just that there aren't many such unspoilt areas of the world left now (though there aren't), but also the way scientists operate has changed vastly - and for much the better, I hasten to add. No longer is the colonial way of "discovering" en vogue: there is no going to a location and stripping it of everything of value to send back to the motherland. I liked the fact that the author does not shy away from Douglas' tendency to do this, and instead shows it to be the pillaging it really was. However, it was a different time, and this was the fashion of the day, so decrying it now is moot.
The hardships that these naturalists suffered throughout their travels are also difficult to imagine in today's world of such easy travel. I myself have travelled to a reasonable number of countries, but the most difficulty I have encountered is stomach upsets and unreliable public transport. It's incredible to think of the passion that must have driven him to always keep going with feet swollen and bleeding, eyes going dim with blindness and constantly on the verge of hunger of thirst. It's all the more inspiring to read because of it.
Although I knew how the book must end - the inscription on the plaque I'd seen had first inspired me to read about him, after all - it still was sad when it happened. For a man who, despite his faults, was a strong force for science at the time to die so abruptly and right in the middle of his career is a tragedy. He seemed to be constantly improving his techniques and abilities, and who knows what he could have discovered if he had lived to progress further into geology, botany or zoology. A sad end, and a rather ignoble one too, for someone who had contributed so much to our understanding. If I ever do make it to Hawaii - and I intend to - I'll be sure to go visit the Doctor's Pit and pay my respects in person.
I was originally going to read his journals, so that I could see in his own words what happened. However, I realised that reading something written in the 1800s by a naturalist, and not necessarily written for public consumption, may end up being quite difficult and not all that fun. When researching him a bit more, I came upon this book, and thought that it should satiate my curiosity quite satisfactorily.
I was right. The book synthesises everything Douglas wrote, including the aforementioned journals but also letters to friends, replies, and the writings of those people who he met along his travels. It also includes far more context than I could ever have hoped to gain from the journals alone, including other happenings at the time in science and society. Nisbet seems to certainly be a fan of Douglas - I'm sure you'd have to be, to being an undertaking such as this - but does not cover his foibles, and even pokes some light-hearted fun at him at times. He does an excellent job of distilling the information from the journals, in their "dense, crabbed writing", to something easy and entertaining to read but still highly informative.
The doesn't hurt that the tale contained within is such an intriguing one. Douglas lived a life that is impossible to imagine recreating now: going into the wild, untouched-by-science frontier and staking a bold claim upon it. It's not just that there aren't many such unspoilt areas of the world left now (though there aren't), but also the way scientists operate has changed vastly - and for much the better, I hasten to add. No longer is the colonial way of "discovering" en vogue: there is no going to a location and stripping it of everything of value to send back to the motherland. I liked the fact that the author does not shy away from Douglas' tendency to do this, and instead shows it to be the pillaging it really was. However, it was a different time, and this was the fashion of the day, so decrying it now is moot.
The hardships that these naturalists suffered throughout their travels are also difficult to imagine in today's world of such easy travel. I myself have travelled to a reasonable number of countries, but the most difficulty I have encountered is stomach upsets and unreliable public transport. It's incredible to think of the passion that must have driven him to always keep going with feet swollen and bleeding, eyes going dim with blindness and constantly on the verge of hunger of thirst. It's all the more inspiring to read because of it.
Although I knew how the book must end - the inscription on the plaque I'd seen had first inspired me to read about him, after all - it still was sad when it happened. For a man who, despite his faults, was a strong force for science at the time to die so abruptly and right in the middle of his career is a tragedy. He seemed to be constantly improving his techniques and abilities, and who knows what he could have discovered if he had lived to progress further into geology, botany or zoology. A sad end, and a rather ignoble one too, for someone who had contributed so much to our understanding. If I ever do make it to Hawaii - and I intend to - I'll be sure to go visit the Doctor's Pit and pay my respects in person.
January 7, 2021
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I am always interested in reading about its history. The Collector by Jack Nisbet fit the bill. The subtitle is “David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest.” David Douglas came to the area on behalf of the Horticultural Society of London. He was helped by the Hudson Bay Company during much of his time in the area. Mr. Douglas was here three times; he first arrived on the east coast in 1823. He spent time in the New York area, then went north and west to Lake Erie and briefly spent some time in Canada but soon headed back to New York. All the while he is picking up specimens and taking notes. In December he headed back to England and arrived in London in January of 1824. The Society liked what he had done and commissioned him to go back to America.
He left England in July of 1824 and traveled around South America by ship to Vancouver; it took about eight and half months. Once here, he took a number of trips, one down to the Umpqua area to find the Sugar Pine, a couple up north to the interior, and then finally cross country to the east to catch a ship sailing from the west coast of Hudson Bay. He arrived back in England in October of 1827 and remained in Great Britain for two years. In the fall of 1829 he once again sailed around the Horn to Fort Vancouver with a short stop in Hawaii, which was then called the Sandwich Islands. Back in the Pacific Northwest, he continued his rounds of collecting going north and south. At one point he shipped down to Monterey in California and eventually went as far south as Santa Barbara, always picking up seeds and plants and other life forms. In 1833 he sailed to Hawaii and visited some volcanoes. On a trip across one of the islands he died in unusual circumstances. It is still a mystery whether he met foul play or was killed accidentally by falling into a pit with a bull.
One of the things that stands out in the book for me is the hardships and dangers that Douglas went through to collect his specimens: raging rapids, crossing the bar of the Columbia, sickness, cold, hostile Indians, poor diet and hunger, inadequate clothing for the weather. All these things were a normal part of Douglas’s life, and he didn’t seem to complain. Much of the book is based on his letters and notes along with other writings about him. It is a well documented book; the last 33 pages contain a bibliography, some chapter notes, and an index.
David Douglas did much to enlarge the knowledge of natural science, especially botany. Today I can look out my window and see the Douglas Fir trees growing on the property. Those trees bear his name. I liked the book, particularly because it is relevant to my geographic area.
He left England in July of 1824 and traveled around South America by ship to Vancouver; it took about eight and half months. Once here, he took a number of trips, one down to the Umpqua area to find the Sugar Pine, a couple up north to the interior, and then finally cross country to the east to catch a ship sailing from the west coast of Hudson Bay. He arrived back in England in October of 1827 and remained in Great Britain for two years. In the fall of 1829 he once again sailed around the Horn to Fort Vancouver with a short stop in Hawaii, which was then called the Sandwich Islands. Back in the Pacific Northwest, he continued his rounds of collecting going north and south. At one point he shipped down to Monterey in California and eventually went as far south as Santa Barbara, always picking up seeds and plants and other life forms. In 1833 he sailed to Hawaii and visited some volcanoes. On a trip across one of the islands he died in unusual circumstances. It is still a mystery whether he met foul play or was killed accidentally by falling into a pit with a bull.
One of the things that stands out in the book for me is the hardships and dangers that Douglas went through to collect his specimens: raging rapids, crossing the bar of the Columbia, sickness, cold, hostile Indians, poor diet and hunger, inadequate clothing for the weather. All these things were a normal part of Douglas’s life, and he didn’t seem to complain. Much of the book is based on his letters and notes along with other writings about him. It is a well documented book; the last 33 pages contain a bibliography, some chapter notes, and an index.
David Douglas did much to enlarge the knowledge of natural science, especially botany. Today I can look out my window and see the Douglas Fir trees growing on the property. Those trees bear his name. I liked the book, particularly because it is relevant to my geographic area.
September 1, 2019
A biography of David Douglas, an early naturalist who collected widely in western North America. Douglas was born in 1799. After developing an interest in natural history, his skills were recognized by the London Horticultural Society who sent him to the Columbia River drainage to collect. While the work was scientific and investigative, a major objective was new species for cultivation in English gardens.
In 1824 he went around Cape Horn to the Columbia River. Along the way, he visited the Galapagos (10 years before Darwin), but his collections were lost. Through 1826, he worked in the lower Columbia, then east across the Cascades into the upper Columbia. In 1827 he returned north through Boat Encampment, over Athabasca Pass where he climbed Mount Brown and through Jasper, Edmonton and Norway House where he met governor George Simpson and Sir John Franklin
By 1828 he was home in England where he garnered much attention, but became restless.
In 1829 he left on a second expedition of a few years to the Columbia area. Shorter ventures were made south to California and north to the Thompson River. In 1833 he travelled to Hawaii. While doing work there he fell into a cattle trapping pit where he was killed at the early age of 35.
Douglas's extensive work resulted in the introduction of numerous new plants to English gardens and extensive collections of scientific value. Over eighty species were named after him. Especially notable is the Douglas Fir.
In 1824 he went around Cape Horn to the Columbia River. Along the way, he visited the Galapagos (10 years before Darwin), but his collections were lost. Through 1826, he worked in the lower Columbia, then east across the Cascades into the upper Columbia. In 1827 he returned north through Boat Encampment, over Athabasca Pass where he climbed Mount Brown and through Jasper, Edmonton and Norway House where he met governor George Simpson and Sir John Franklin
By 1828 he was home in England where he garnered much attention, but became restless.
In 1829 he left on a second expedition of a few years to the Columbia area. Shorter ventures were made south to California and north to the Thompson River. In 1833 he travelled to Hawaii. While doing work there he fell into a cattle trapping pit where he was killed at the early age of 35.
Douglas's extensive work resulted in the introduction of numerous new plants to English gardens and extensive collections of scientific value. Over eighty species were named after him. Especially notable is the Douglas Fir.
September 23, 2020
While extensively researched, with various tangents followed of every character Douglas meets in two epic pacific northwest collecting trips (mostly botanical), this comes off as so dry as to eviscerate the man that underwent such lengths and trials. I never got a feel for who Douglas the man was. With some of the same characters as those in Astoria, which read like a thriller, this book was a list of places people and plants and so gutted of the use of Douglas' own journals' words that it reads like a modernese digest for an impatient reader. There are NO good maps, just overviews, and there aren't scientific names for many if not most of the plants. It unfortunately made an epic journey dull. Sorry to say, as it is obvious the large amount of work that went into it. I am now going to find Douglas' journal in the original, and I will revise this 'disappointment review' if it too proves as dull as a list of items and people seen. I love 19th century writing and its florid style, 21st century interpretations and condensations take out the heart and the excitement of these new discoveries and discoverers by stealing the breathlessness and vulnerability of an earlier type of adventurer's recountings.
June 21, 2017
Author Nisbet has done an excellent job recounting botanist David Douglas' life and research studies which, given the scientist' s journeys to places in the Pacific Northwest where few white men had travelled, were often harrowing adventures. Based on extensive research in Douglas' journals and letters, little is left to the imagination.
I found the reading enthralling for the first 2/3, and then it bogged down. There seemed to be so much scientific detail that I just got lost in it; so many struggles to cross rivers or portage around rapids; so many extensive collections of seeds, shooting and preserving of birds and other wildlife. Even the little adopted dog Billy couldn't save the narrative and keep my interest alive.
David Douglas returns from England and finds most of the Native American tribes he had visited decimated by disease; the human ties to his first visits are removed from the narrative, causing a disconnect in one of the more interesting aspects of Douglas' research.
Rating: 3.5 for quality writing and research and a great deal if information in a relatively small volume.
I found the reading enthralling for the first 2/3, and then it bogged down. There seemed to be so much scientific detail that I just got lost in it; so many struggles to cross rivers or portage around rapids; so many extensive collections of seeds, shooting and preserving of birds and other wildlife. Even the little adopted dog Billy couldn't save the narrative and keep my interest alive.
David Douglas returns from England and finds most of the Native American tribes he had visited decimated by disease; the human ties to his first visits are removed from the narrative, causing a disconnect in one of the more interesting aspects of Douglas' research.
Rating: 3.5 for quality writing and research and a great deal if information in a relatively small volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2020
This is the third book by Jack Nisbet I've read, the first being "Sources of the River" followed by "The "Dreamer and the Doctor." This is my least favorite of the three.
I read The Collector because I wanted to learn more about the "grass man," the explorer/botanist who haunted the fur posts of the Hudson Bay and Northwest Companies. I enjoyed previous works on men like David Thompson and the members of the Corps of Discover. After finding this book at the Fort Clatsop gift shop, it seemed like the next logical reading choice.
But unfortunately, David Douglas's life is probably not interesting enough to warrant a two hundred page biography. Nisbet rarely offers personal commentary, and the biography is basically a 21st century synthesis of his journal entries. I can only wonder what might have been if Stephen Ambrose had tackled this topic.
The Collector is a superb book for people who love Pacific Northwest history and who live near Spokane, Walla Walla, or Astoria. I enjoyed the familiar spots like Cape Disappointment and the Little Pend Oreille river that Douglas wandered. Otherwise, I did not find his story particularly captivating or inspiring.
I read The Collector because I wanted to learn more about the "grass man," the explorer/botanist who haunted the fur posts of the Hudson Bay and Northwest Companies. I enjoyed previous works on men like David Thompson and the members of the Corps of Discover. After finding this book at the Fort Clatsop gift shop, it seemed like the next logical reading choice.
But unfortunately, David Douglas's life is probably not interesting enough to warrant a two hundred page biography. Nisbet rarely offers personal commentary, and the biography is basically a 21st century synthesis of his journal entries. I can only wonder what might have been if Stephen Ambrose had tackled this topic.
The Collector is a superb book for people who love Pacific Northwest history and who live near Spokane, Walla Walla, or Astoria. I enjoyed the familiar spots like Cape Disappointment and the Little Pend Oreille river that Douglas wandered. Otherwise, I did not find his story particularly captivating or inspiring.
July 27, 2019
This book is for naturalists, but also historians.
Here's what interested me.
Having collected plants in eastern Africa I appreciate the thrill it must have been for Douglas to find almost every species he encountered to be either little known or completely new to science.
Some of the trees I studied as a forestry student and subsequently worked with in the field are named for Douglas and his botanical colleagues : Sabine (Pinus sabiniana: digger pine), Menzies (Pseudotsuga menziesii: Douglas fir), Douglas (Douglas fir), Lambert (Pinus lambertiana: sugar pine), Coulter (Coulter pine) . . .
The immense area (which I had not before fully appreciated) over which the Hudson Bay Company operated, including the Pacific Northwest and most, if not all of western Canada.
Insights into the relationships between Hudson Bay personnel and local indian tribes/bands in the early 1800's before white Americans began settling the Pacific Northwest.
There were grizzlies in the Willamette Valley then? Cool!
Here's what interested me.
Having collected plants in eastern Africa I appreciate the thrill it must have been for Douglas to find almost every species he encountered to be either little known or completely new to science.
Some of the trees I studied as a forestry student and subsequently worked with in the field are named for Douglas and his botanical colleagues : Sabine (Pinus sabiniana: digger pine), Menzies (Pseudotsuga menziesii: Douglas fir), Douglas (Douglas fir), Lambert (Pinus lambertiana: sugar pine), Coulter (Coulter pine) . . .
The immense area (which I had not before fully appreciated) over which the Hudson Bay Company operated, including the Pacific Northwest and most, if not all of western Canada.
Insights into the relationships between Hudson Bay personnel and local indian tribes/bands in the early 1800's before white Americans began settling the Pacific Northwest.
There were grizzlies in the Willamette Valley then? Cool!
August 4, 2022
Jack Nisbet has produced a succinct, yet thorough biography of David Douglas, eminent Scottish botanist and explorer. Born in Scone, Perthshire, David Douglas apprenticed as a gardener at the age of eleven. Douglas eventually moved to Glasgow University where he tended the Botanical Gardens, and attended lectures in botany and mathematics.
Under the aegis of the Royal Horticultural Society, Douglas made three trips to North America, principally to the Pacific Northwest, but also to California and Hawaii. Along the way, he collected and preserved thousands of plant specimens, along with minerals, mammals, birds and reptiles. Douglas drew logistical support from the Hudson Bay Company, and at the time of his untimely demise on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano, over 80 species of plants and animals bore his name.
An interesting addition to our knowledge of the history of western science and exploration.
Under the aegis of the Royal Horticultural Society, Douglas made three trips to North America, principally to the Pacific Northwest, but also to California and Hawaii. Along the way, he collected and preserved thousands of plant specimens, along with minerals, mammals, birds and reptiles. Douglas drew logistical support from the Hudson Bay Company, and at the time of his untimely demise on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano, over 80 species of plants and animals bore his name.
An interesting addition to our knowledge of the history of western science and exploration.
June 16, 2025
I enjoyed this book very much. My husband is a botanist and we read the book together. It was especially interesting to read about Douglas's discoveries and descriptions of plants in the Pacific Northwest, where we grew up and lived for many years. Our kids still live in the Portland/Vancouver area (where's there's a David Douglas park.) We could easily visualize the rivers, trails, mountains, and vegetation as Douglas described them. This is a good history of people (including northwest indigenous tribes) fur trappers, exporers, and settlers, natural beauty, and geography, as well as the early growth of botany and the natural sciences. The land is still covered in the trees named for him, the Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) one of which we have in our own back yard.
January 1, 2020
I live in an area explored by David Douglas and have known certain parts of his life since I'm trained forester. The Collector: David Douglas and the Natural History of the Northwest by Jack Nesbit filled in many holes in my knowledge of this truly remarkable botanist, discoverer, explorer, traveler, and adventurer. The book may have the appearance of being a "dry biographical read" about a man of science. It is far from that - Nesbit provides context to the biography and writes in a style that flows remarkably well given some of the technical verbiage (I was able to read the book in a day).
June 26, 2020
It's really impressive what David Douglas accomplished in his lifetime, especially for botany in the PNW. While the research is impressive, the storytelling does not measure up. The ending is especially disappointing and the last chapter could have probably been left out, or summarized in one page.
November 18, 2021
Nice informative book , filled with accounts of david douglas and his encounters with the tribes of northwest . It gets a bit repetitive because of the linear storytelling but its still very good .
One will be amazed to know the variety of plants that were being used by the tribes in the lower Columbia region for food medicine etc .
One will be amazed to know the variety of plants that were being used by the tribes in the lower Columbia region for food medicine etc .
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