The Annotated Memoirs of the Life and Botanical Travels of André Michaux

J.P.F. Deleuze learned the story of André Michaux's life from Michaux himself. Deleuze's brief account is the original biography of the French botanist. This seminal work has now been annotated for the modern reader while retaining the lyrical prose of the original English translation. French botanist André Michaux (1746-1802) is noted for his contributions to botany, horticulture, agriculture and forestry. Serving a series of French governments from Louis XVI to Napoleon, he traveled widely outside France in search of plants to improve the agriculture and forestry of his home country. Michaux was a determined and physically rugged individual who lived an adventurous life. He traveled in war-torn and almost lawless lands in the Middle East, dangerous North American frontier areas, and finally in the disease-ridden tropics. Hardship, hard work and danger were his constant companions. He won the admiration of his colleagues in Paris and acquaintances everywhere and provides us with an example of a life lived to its fullest potential. He rose on his own merits from simple farmer on a royal estate to join the ranks of the Institute de France, his country s most prestigious scientific body.