Book description
In 1630s' Holland thousands of people, from the wealthiest merchants to
the lowest street traders, were caught up in a frenzy of buying and
selling. The object of the speculation was not oil or gold, but the
tulip, a delicate and exotic bloom that had just arrived from the east.
Over three years, rare tulip bulbs changed hands for sums that would
have bought a house in Amsterdam: a single bulb could sell for more than
300,000 at today's prices. Fortunes were made overnight, but then lost
when, within a year, the market collapsed. Mike Dash recreates this
bizarre episode in European history, separating myth from reality. He
traces the hysterical boom and devastating bust, bringing to life a
colourful cast of characters, and beautifully evoking Holland's Golden
Age. Mike Dash read history at Cambridge and received his PhD from the
University of London. Having worked for the Fortean Times and The
Ministry of Sound, he is now setting up his own company.
