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David Austin's New Book
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Posted by ingrid_vc Z10 SoCal (My Page) on Tue, Aug 4, 09 at 23:36
| Has anyone read or bought "The Rose" by David Austin? I've ordered this book from Amazon.com at considerably below the retail price (slightly used book at $30) and wondered how good a book it is. At the same time I saw a book that I had bought for under $30 at Amazon, Peter Beale's Passion for Roses priced at $150.00 and up! Some copies were over $250.00! To say that I'm amazed is an understatement I'm using my copy under my laptop to bring it up to a comfortable height. It should probably be sitting under glass somewhere.
The Austrian Tea Rose book is now selling at half price for a new copy. Not that I could have waited this long to get my copy.
Ingrid |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Hi Ingrid, I've really enjoyed the Australian book about Tea Roses and also couldn't wait to get it. Will have to check out Austin's new book as well. Diane |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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If I move to England, I'll rush out to buy Austin's new book.
However, that's unlikely. The Aussie Tea book, OTOH, has really been useful to this Southern CA girl. Jeri |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| $30 dollars for "The Rose" book? That's a huge bargin! Here in Australia, it cost about $120 dollars. Every page in "The Rose" book by David Austin is beautifully photographed and it's quite heavy. |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Ingrid, I have it and it's quite nice ... of course it features his roses very prominently and in all detail while all but ignoring French, Italian etc breeding of recent years. Still a good book though on the history of rose breeding as well as Euro "classics" and OGRs. Photos are generally nice although many are not of the best print quality, suffering oddly from high contrast. Andrea |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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Ingrid,
I bought the Austin book last year from of all places an electronic superstore website last fall for $50. I was impressed with the info and history, but I agree with Andrea the pictures are too highly contrasted. I would give it a 4 out of five stars.:) BC:) |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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I'm with Jeri, I'd pick the Aussie Tea book over a David Austin book.
I do like some of the Austin roses, but I'm not a big fan of his books.
IMO, the best book, by far, written about David Austin roses was not by David, it was by Clair Martin ... '100 English Roses for the American Garden'.
The things David Austin himself writes about his roses has no application for my climate. Randy |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| I agree, Randy. Austin is not qualified to judge how his roses do here because he doesn't live here. I've read Clair Martin's book and made notes of which roses appealed to me, a list that I unfortunately no longer possess. It would be wonderful if he were to put out a new edition of his book featuring all the new Austin roses that have come along and his opinion of them. Ingrid |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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Of course the newer Austins aren't included, but for those in mild climates, Clair really did nail the performance of the Austins he reviewed.
I found it particularly helpful, when I was still planting Austins. There aren't all that many rose books that were written of and for mild-climate gardens.
We must treasure each and every one of them.
:-) Jeri |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Glad you brought this to our attention. FYI, I looked up Clair Martins book and there are used ones available for a low price. Also, since we want to keep the mom pop stores going, Ashdown has this book available and signed by author. Info and for those not in the know (like me): 100 English Roses for the American Garden (signed by the author) "Clair Martin is curator of the Huntington Botanical Garden in Pasadena, CA. He has spent many years working with and studying the David Austin English Roses and how they behave in warmer American climates. Stunning photography."
Price: $24.95 (Thanks Jeri, I wouldn't have grabbed onto it if it wasn't for your post.) Allison |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Hey! You're welcome Allison! I think you'll find the book (Books! Because he also has one on Old Roses!) very useful. Enjoy! Jeri |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Well, my Austin rose book arrived today and I must say for the most part I'm disappointed. The writing is formulaic and boring (I think if you've read one Austin book you've read them all) and the photography is truly disappointing. His chapter on roses in the garden has primarily pictures of HIS rose gardens. All in all, I could have lived happily without it. It makes the prose in the Australian rose book sound positively inspired and passionate, and the photography there also seems much superior. David Austin devotes TWO PAGES to tea roses in his book, and is very lukewarm even there. Peter Beales in his books covers the tea roses thoroughly and both of these gentleman live in England. Perhaps Mr. Austin should get out more. Ingrid |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| "Perhaps Mr. Austin should get out more." **** ROTFLMAO! Jeri |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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All this talk about rose books, all of a sudden I remembered seeing the 100 English Roses book at a used book joint like six months ago! Since I had the day to myself....I went to a nursery I don't usually go to (Andersons in Point Loma FYI for the Diegans. Amazing staghorn selection!) and then the bookstore, yay! Found some very cool companion plants :-) and the book "Landscaping with Antiques Roses by Liz Druitt and G. Michael Shoup, 1992". Great book, with lottsa pictures! Anybody have this book?
The 100 Roses book wasn't there anymore. I did look at an older DA book....I like his catalogs better! I got the same feeling that Ingrid did, it's a "toot your own horn" book that doesn't help us at all here in the dessert. The DA catalogs are more helpful and nicer pics. So in a bit I am off to my other used bookstore...... |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| I have the Liz Druitt book and it's been a very reliable help the past 10 years. As for the Clair Martin book, altho I rely on this one for my coastal so. Calfornia garden more than Austin's own books written from the pov of an English garden, the original version of "100 English Roses, which came out as a small pamphlet published by the Huntington, was the best! Despite its lack of photos, the writing was more candid about the actual performance of the roses at the gardens in Pasadena. Unfortunately, I gave this little book to my doctor who shared my love of gardening as I was awaiting the publication of the improved glossy book with photos. However, after the intial excitement at the wonderful photos, I was dismayed that the descriptions of the roses had been "cleaned up" somewhat for publication. I still would recommend it. I'd love to get another copy of the original booklet from the Huntington Gardens. |
RE: David Austin's New Book again
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| Also, the Liz Druitt book is delightfully personal and full of her funny, quirky phrases and opinions. She's a real hands-on rosarian and full of spirit. It's a delightful read. I guess that's what I missed when Martin's 100 English Roses became a "real" book -- the candid observations had been carefully edited and smoothed over. - Candace |
Followup
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| Yes, Liz Druitt is a very fun author to read. Her book, "The Organic Rose Garden" is perhaps my most often read book here at the house. I like its small size and it's packed full of information, rather than photos. By the way, I purchased my Clair Martin book, "100 English Roses for the American Garden" at Half Price Books. ONE OF THE BEST BARGAINS I'VE EVER FOUND. Sometimes a person just gets lucky. Now, if I could just find his book on 100 OGRs there too. I would love to have that one in my collection. I may go ahead and order it for full price, if I have to. Randy |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| (Andersons in Point Loma FYI for the Diegans. Amazing staghorn selection!) *** We've been there, and yes, they do. We have had the Druitt/Shoup book: "LANDSCAPING WITH ANTIQUE ROSES" since it first came out.
It's rather worn, now, for I have made great use of it. (This isn't the book Druitt wrote later, on her own, which is also good.) Some might also enjoy Bill Welch's
"ANTIQUE ROSES FOR THE SOUTH," Taylor Publishing, (c) 1990.
This was one of my first few rose books -- another that I bought when it first came out.
I loved it from the beginning, and still do. And while we're on the subject of books, any who are in Noisette Territory should own:
"NOISETTE ROSES: 19th CENTURY CHARLESTON'S GIFT TO THE WORLD"
Published by the Charleston Horticultural Society, this is a slim book, superbly edited by Virginia Kean.
You can order it through the web site of the Heritage Rose Foundation, and I recommend it highly. Jeri |
Here is a link that might be useful: To Order The Noisette Book
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Okay, I didn't find the 100 English Roses book. I did find The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book. 1994 (Enlarged and revised version) So I bought it. Anyone have this book? Mudbird do you remember when the original booklet came out? Allison |
RE: David Austin's New Book
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| Allison, yes, I have The Graham Stuart Thomas Rose Book. Love it, refer to it often. Randy |
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