The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire

The amazing tale of one of history’s most daring acts of biopiracy—and how it changed history

In this thrilling real-life account of bravery, greed, obsession, and ultimate betrayal, award- winning writer Joe Jackson brings to life the story of fortune hunter Henry Wickham and his collaboration with the empire that fueled, then abandoned him. In 1876, Wickham smuggled 70,000 rubber tree seeds out of the rainforests of Brazil and delivered them to Victorian England’s most prestigious scientists at Kew Gardens. The story of how Wickham got his hands on those seeds—and the history-making consequences—is the stuff of legend. The Thief at the End of the World is an exciting true story of reckless courage and ambition that perfectly captures the essential nature of Great Britain’s colonial adventure in South America.

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