THE GRASS IS GREENER: Our love affair with the lawn: An Anglo-Saxon Passion - Softcover

Fort, Tom

4.2

5 ratings by Goodreads

9780007291342: THE GRASS IS GREENER: Our love affair with the lawn: An Anglo-Saxon Passion

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007291345 ISBN 13: 9780007291342

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2008

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Grass and its organisation into lawns is a particularly English obsession. If an Englishman's house is his castle, then his lawn is most certainly his estate. Occupying a place in the national psyche comparable to that of afternoon tea, the English concept of the ideal lawn has evolved and altered almost beyond recognition since its first mention in the time of Henry III. Now Tom Fort traces its history, through famous lawns, to the present day. The English are universally acknowledged to be the lawn creators, coming up with most of the games played on grass, as well as the original grass-cutting machines. The lawn has aroused the wonder of the rest of the civilised world, and the Americans have fused to their conception of suburban bliss the ideal of the impeccably manicured lawn. This social history of grass is further enlivened by an introduction to the creator of the first lawnmower, Edwin Budding, by discussions with contemporary lawnsmen, and by witnessing the author's own attempt to create his perfect lawn.

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Review:

‘A witty, quirky history of the lawn – and fond tribute to the lawnmower’ The Times

‘This book is absolutely hilarious. Brilliantly written, a minor classic. A gem.’ The Field

‘Even those without green fingers will find Tom Fort’s hymn to horticulture entertaining.’ Evening Standard

‘Cultural history at its best’ Country Life

From the Back Cover:

"A witty, quirky history of the lawn – and fond tribute to the lawn mower"
THE TIMES

"The English obsession with the lawn is entertainingly weeded and watered in 'The Grass is Greener'. It contains the beats description of a potting shed ever written."
JOHN MORTIMER, 'The Observer'

The lawn has always been a particularly English concept – from the rituals of its care to its place in literature, from the games played on it to the creator of the first lawnmower. This – the firt social history of grass – shows how the lawn may be an indicator of moral worth or a symbol of tyranny. But above all, the lawn is a masculine domain.

"Even those without green fingers will find Tom Fort's hymn to horticulture entertaining."
EVENING STANDARD

"Cultural history at its best"
COUNTRY LIFE

"This book is all about one-upmanship: how national pride, social status, even sexual identity can be found up in the greenness and smoothness of grass."
THE GUARDIAN

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