Science in the Service of Empire: Joseph Banks, the British State and the Uses of Science in the Age of Revolution

This book examines Sir Joseph Banks' role in promoting "imperial science," in the context of the consolidation of the British State during a time of extraordinary upheaval. Under pressure from the American, French and Industrial revolutions, the State became interested in the possible uses of science for economic and strategic gain. Banks became its principal adviser in scientific matters, and Gascoigne shows how he used personal networks and patronage to integrate scientific concerns into the complex machinery of government.