If you are looking for a book encompassing the complete Charles Darwin then look no further. This one has it all. From his birth to his interment at Westminster Abbey after his death, this biography illuminates all of who Darwin was as a man as well as a scientist. This book is extraordinarily comprehensive as well as being highly readable. After reading this I felt I truly understood who Charles Darwin really was. So much so that I got a little teary eyed at the end when it described his death. This biography contains many many illustrations and photos of Darwin and his friends and family. We all know what Darwin looks like but now you can put a face to the whole Darwin clan. At nearly 700 pages this book is a doozy, but entirely worth the time expended.
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Posted October 16, 2010
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Overview
"Unquestionably the finest [biography] ever written about Darwin. . . . Darwin has now become, and properly, the quintessentially socially embedded scientist. Desmond and Moore are brilliant in their pursuit of this truly unifying theme."—Stephen Jay Gould
Hailed as the definitive biography, this monumental work explains the character and paradoxes of Charles Darwin and opens up the full panorama of Victorian science, theology, and mores. The authors bring to life Darwin's reckless student days in Cambridge, his epic five-year voyage on the Beagle, and his grueling struggle to develop his theory of evolution.
Adrian Desmond and James Moore's gripping narrative reveals the great personal cost to Darwin of pursuing inflammatory truths—telling the whole story of how he came to his epoch-making conclusions.
In lively and accessible style, the authors tell how Darwin came to his world-changing conclusions and how he kept his thoughts secret for twenty years. Hailed as the definitive biography, this book explains Darwin's paradox and offers a window on Victorian science, theology, and mores. Contains a wealth of new information and 90 photographs.
Editorial Reviews
Stephen Jay Gould
“Unquestionably the finest [biography] ever written about Darwin. . . . Darwin has now become, and properly, the quintessentially socially embedded scientist. Desmond and Moore are brilliant in their pursuit of this truly unifying theme.”Everett Menselson
“At last, a biography to match the man. . . . Darwin, his family, his colleagues, and his milieu come alive in this book. . . . Superbly written.”Anthony Burgess - Observer
“A book that makes such an astounding physical as well as cerebral impact is a very rare commodity indeed.”Roy Porter - Sunday Times
“A riveting tour de force that meets the need for a new biography on the grand scale. . . . Rarely have the dynamic relations between a scientist's life and his theories been so fully, so forcefully recounted.”William Bynum - New Scientist
“Pick is up and you are hooked, by the racy writing, the memorable turns of phrase, the historical insights and the sheer bravado of their performance.”Observer
A book that makes such an astounding physical as well as cerebral impact is a very rare commodity indeed.— Anthony BurgessSunday Times
A riveting tour de force that meets the need for a new biography on the grand scale. . . . Rarely have the dynamic relations between a scientist's life and his theories been so fully, so forcefully recounted.— Roy PorterNew Scientist
Pick is up and you are hooked, by the racy writing, the memorable turns of phrase, the historical insights and the sheer bravado of their performance.— William BynumProduct Details
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Meet the Author
James Moore is a reader in history of science and technology at the Open University.