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

Former library book

"The Thief at the End of the World" by J Jackson is another book in the popular genre of the history of everyday things - in this case, how natural rubber was taken from its home in Brazil.Jackson writes somewhat in the style of a thriller writer, but it is appropriate given the tale of deception and theft that he relates. He is actually a fine writer - far superior to the soulless journalese of many books in this genre. His gift for writing and description makes the book quite exciting, but he does not fall into the trap of "embellishing" the tale for dramatic effect.Henry Wickham, the central figure in the story, is one of those driven, obsessed men who were so common in the Victorian era of the British Empire, and even until World War 2. They were usually flawed and often tragic figures who played key roles in the saga of Empire building. What was it about Great Britain in the19th century that produced such an abundance of restless men?In reading this book, one is struck by the trials Wickham endured, his disappointments, his brushes with death in remote jungles. Yet he always got up to try again, driven by some inner vision. After reading his story, one is filled with admiration for such people.There is a very moving portrait in the book of Wickham, aged over 80, posing in slight profile for the camera. He looks strong and healthy, with the face of a much younger man. In the evening of his life, recognition and honours were showered on him and one might have expected a happy, even triumphant air in such a portrait. But the wary eyes and the sad smile half-hidden by his great moustache tell of his trials, and of unfulfilled dreams that died in the remoter regions of the British Empire.Jackson gives an excellent account of the frantic Rubber Boom to hit the Amazon in the early years of the 20th century as demand for rubber for tyres, insulation and many other products soared and vast fortunes were made and squandered in luxuries such as the Opera house at Manaus. The bubble was quickly followed by a classic bust as plantation rubber from Wickham's smuggled seeds quickly killed the Amazonian wild supply.Jackson's description of the boom and bust is one of the best accounts I have read and applies to all bubbles - right down to those of our day, such as the mad dotcom bubble.There is a deeper message in the story of this book that Jackson only briefly alludes to. In the 19th century Empire-builders such as the English believed that everything in nature was put there by God for the use and pleasure of Man (but other countries were arguably much worse). This was the religious justification for ruthless exploitation of nature for profit and "sport".Thankfully, most of the worst excesses of that era are past. But many traditional societies in poor countries are still being plundered for their knowledge of the medicinal and other uses of plants. Foreign companies often develop lucrative products based on this knowledge, but they rarely ever compensate the people from whom they stole the knowledge in the first place. Sadly, many traditional societies are easy prey, and the predators often lack sufficient moral restraint to prevent injustices being done.Not surprisingly, the custodians of traditional knowledge are waking up to the exploiters and are starting to realise the value of what they have. They are becoming increasingly reluctant to share knowledge with inquisitive foreigners. No one wins in this situation: the world is denied potential new drugs and the knowledge itself risks being lost as traditional societies change and custodians of knowledge die out.Jackson's descriptions of the Amazonian tropical jungles are particularly evocative and accurate. I have travelled through the jungles of the Amazon and Central America and I often felt the joy of recalling familiar things while reading this book. The river boats on which I have travelled are almost the same as the boats described in the book.Although Brazil is central to the story, and numerous place names are mentioned, there is not a single map in the book. It's an astonishing omission, since most readers will be unfamiliar with the detailed geography of either country. Being able to see on a map the places that played key roles in the drama would have added greatly to the book.There is an extensive section of notes and an exhaustive bibliography.The bottom line: I really liked this book. It is enjoyable and informative read about a little-known episode of biopiracy, written by an author who knows his craft.

Rubber would not at first seem like such an exciting product. However, the history of it, from La Condamine's first samples brought from the Amazon to France to the momentous steal of seeds by Wickham (main character of the book) to Kew Gardens and later to Malaysia, is a truly outstanding saga of what would today be known as biopiracy but was at the time simply the obligation to serve the British crown.The economic collapse left behind by rubber in the Amazon is coupled with the progress brought upon the British colonies in southeast Asia. The book contemplates the history of why rubber (along with coal and steel) became such a valuable material desired and needed for much of the industrial and railroad revolution. The bottleneck was supply of rubber, which came from the tree in not too reachable circumstances in the Amazon. Wickham and the British crown sought to make it more productive and widely available (hence cheaper).In the midst of it all is the curious Wickham character - part idealist, part opportunist, who would eventually sacrifice everything (family, love, etc.) chasing dreams across the world from the Amazon to New Guinea.I highly recommend this book for anyone who is widely knowledgeable about the Amazon and would like more info on this singular event that changed its history.

I read this book between 27 January and 12 February, 2013. I enjoyed this book and the education of the many good Amazonian tribes. This book was everything I expected in terms of the historical story of rubber, the Amazon, and the encroachment of humans upon a necessary resource. Parts of the book will cover the environment by default but this isn't the topic of the book. The topic is the history of rubber. My interest in this book is the attachment it has to the Second World War and the Imperial Forces of Japan in their capture of the Malayan peninsula because of their need for rubber. The rubber grown there were started as a result of the smuggled seeds from Brazil through one Henry Wickham. A terrific story that will take you on many journeys. I am giving this 4 stars as opposed to 5 because I believe another 100 pages of material could have been added based on scientific evolution and production numbers; slight more detail in this regard would have suited this book better. However, it is a very good story and historical account

The author tells a number of fascinating stories as he follows the life of Henry Wickham from childhood through a series of schemes and near-death adventures involving bot fly larvae, fever, nearly chopping off his foot, and endless fruitless attempts to be a planter. Henry's claim to fame was the highpoint of the book, a serendipitous incident with Kew, a ship, and the Hevea seeds. The style is mostly fine, though it's a bit over-written, as when the expressions in a photograph are scrutinized for what they might reveal about thoughts, hopes, feelings. This tendency to try to fill in the facts with humanizing details is a minor annoyance, as are the frequent digressions to establish the scene with global history. Those gripes aside, the author does a delightful job filling an important gap in the history of rubber and plant explorers.

Simply a wonderful book, well researched and full of passionate analysis of what actually happened. As somebody interested and well experienced in the science of rubber and has witnessed first hand the plight of the rubber producing areas and people, it was a fascinating read. For somebody not experienced, it would serve as a wonderfully insightful and eye-opening look into a largely unknown part of our cultures history. The stories behind the tire on your car, told through the eyes of an adventurous (mis-adventurous, perhaps!) man of the past.This book will fill in gaps in your historical knowledge, while also serving desires for adventure and nature. Worth every penny.

I bought the book purely to gather more information about the history of rubber, in which Wickham obviously needed inclusion. Somewhat sceptical as I began reading, I was rapidly immersed in the story and found Jackson's prose surprisingly compelling. His research is tremendous and thorough, including travelling the Amazon himself. While his use of consistently relevant quotes, add not just information, but often give an insight into the person being quoted. In fact the insight is a delight, obviously about Wickham himself and his indomitable spirit, along with the many other players, it is also about the workings of Victorian England, the empire and the manner in which it thrived (in this case, a lot of narrowed-minded bigotry). I was unable to limit my reading to the sections on rubber and so followed Wickham from Haverstock Hill right through to Papua New Guinea and the Conflict Islands. Jackson gives an informative and broad account of rubber, so includes the atrocities in the Congo, along with those in the Putumayo, and the eventual rise of plantation rubber in Ceylon, Malaya and elsewhere. Throughout, he slips in tit-bits of information about all sorts of things that you are not really expecting. A delightful book, academic in its evidence, absorbing in its style, it is simply an excellent story to read.

Well written, informative about the history of the rubber industry.

One of the most interesting books that I have read.What an incredible life that man lived.I enjoyed every chapter.

A history forgotten. Written well and in a very entertaining style. Occasional reference to Google Earth puts all into perspective.

An incredible story of following your dreams despite fatal consequences. He was a determined, driven character who had all the answers without the formal education needed to impress the so called experts. A truly tragic and unsung British adventurer single- handedly responsible for the boom and bust of the British empire and 19th century Brazil. A must read.