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

In 1876, Henry Wickham smuggled 70,000 rubber tree seeds out of the rainforests of Brazil and delivered them to scientists at Kew Gardens. Those seeds, planted around the world in England's colonial outposts, gave rise to the great rubber boom of the early 20th century. This title tells the story of reckless courage and ambition.