In 1876, Henry Wickham smuggled 70,000 rubber tree seeds out of the rainforests of Brazil and delivered them to Victorian England. In this utterly engaging account of obsession, greed, and betrayal, Jackson brings to life a classic fortune hunter and the empire that fueled, then abandoned, him.

From the Publisher:
The story of one manas journey down the Amazonaand how it changed history

In 1876, a man named Henry Wickham smuggled seventy thousand rubber tree seeds out of the rainforests of Brazil and delivered them to Victorian Englandas most prestigious scientists at Kew Gardens. Those seeds, planted around the world in Englandas colonial outposts, gave rise to the great rubber boom of the early twentieth centuryaan explosion of entrepreneurial and scientific industry that would change the world. The story of how Wickham got his hands on those seedsaa sought-after prize for which many suffered and diedais the stuff of legend. In this utterly engaging account of obsession, greed, bravery, and betrayal, author and journalist Joe Jackson brings to life a classic Victorian fortune hunter and the empire that fueled, then abandoned, him.

In his single-minded pursuit of glory, Wickham faced deadly insects, poisonous snakes, horrific illnesses, and, ultimately, the neglect and contempt of the very government he wished to serve. His idealism and determination, as well as his outright thievery, perfectly encapsulate the essential nature of Great Britainas colonial adventure in South America. "The Thief at the End of the World" is a thrilling true story of reckless courage and ambition.

Tagged: Rubber industry and trade, History, Amazon River Region