Jane Brown – författare

This book will provide a new perspective on the way we garden, why we garden and what it means for us.Full of fascinating characters and vignettes – from ancient Greeks to suffragettes, from eccentric military men to Catholics in hiding from persecution – The Pursuit of Paradise looks into how society’s changes have altered our views of gardening, who does it, and how we do it. What drives people to risk their lives in search of a rare Himalayan flower? Why are so many gardeners homosexual? How did gardening become a respectable career for women? When did looking at other people’s gardens become a national British pastime?Using particular gardens to lead into themes like power, refuge, female emancipation, distribution of wealth and fashion, Jane Brown presents a history of the nation through its most popular national pursuit. It will be essential reading for the horticulturally impassioned for years to come.

Lancelot Brown changed the face of eighteenth-century England, designing country estates and mansions, moving hills and making flowing lakes and serpentine rivers, a magical world of green. This English landscape style spread across Europe and the world. At home, it proved so pleasing that Brown's influence spread into the lowland landscape at large, and into landscape painting. He stands behind our vision, and fantasy, of rural England. In this vivid, lively biography, based on detailed research, Jane Brown paints an unforgettable picture of the man, his work, his happy domestic life, and his crowded world. She follows the life of the jovial yet elusive Mr Brown, from his childhood and apprenticeship in rural Northumberland, through his formative years at Stowe, the most famous garden of the day. His innovative ideas, and his affable and generous nature, led to a meteoric rise to a Royal Appointment in 1764 and his clients and friends ranged from statesmen like the elder Pitt to artists and actors like David Garrick. Riding constantly across England, Brown never ceased working until he collapsed and died in February 1783 after visiting one of his oldest clients. He was a practical man but also a visionary, always willing to try something new. As this beautifully illustrated biography shows, Brown filled England with enchantment - follies, cascades, lakes, bridges, ornaments, monuments, meadows and woods - creating views that still delight us today.

The period of childhood which falls between the early years and adolescence is one which many parents perceive as crucial and anxiety-provoking, but is a comparatively neglected area of study. As a child reaches middle childhood, relationships within the family have to be adjusted to accommodate the child's growing independence and sexual development, and his or her attitudes to these changes. While children are less worried about this period of their lives than their parents, they too may suffer from insecurities and have needs that they feel are overlooked or minimised by adults.This book draws on interviews and group discussions with parents and children of primary-school age, conducted during two qualitative studies. It examines how children perceive their social environs; what they want from their parents; how aware they are of their rights. These are contrasted with their parents' views of the same subjects and different styles of parenting. Children's attitudes to risks such as bullying or taking drugs often diverge startlingly from those of their parents.In its combination of viewpoints, set against a background of related research, law, policy and practice, this book offers a rich and challenging study of an important period of the child's development.

The period of childhood which falls between the early years and adolescence is one which many parents perceive as crucial and anxiety-provoking, but is a comparatively neglected area of study. As a child reaches middle childhood, relationships within the family have to be adjusted to accommodate the child's growing independence and sexual development, and his or her attitudes to these changes. While children are less worried about this period of their lives than their parents, they too may suffer from insecurities and have needs that they feel are overlooked or minimised by adults.This book draws on interviews and group discussions with parents and children of primary-school age, conducted during two qualitative studies. It examines how children perceive their social environs; what they want from their parents; how aware they are of their rights. These are contrasted with their parents' views of the same subjects and different styles of parenting. Children's attitudes to risks such as bullying or taking drugs often diverge startlingly from those of their parents.In its combination of viewpoints, set against a background of related research, law, policy and practice, this book offers a rich and challenging study of an important period of the child's development.