Charles Darwin Volume 2: The Power at Place

Description

The second half of Charles Darwin's life was inextricably interwoven with the story of "The Origin of the Species" and this concluding volume of his biography looks closely at the wider publishing world of Victorian England and the different audiences which responded to Darwin's ideas. Darwin relied heavily upon his friends and family, his publishing contacts, his correspondence network, and the expanding geographical and economic horizons of Victorian Britain to distribute his views to the furthest corners of Empire. This biography considers the Darwinian revolution from his point of view and what it was like to become a scientific celebrity.

Janet Browne is a zoologist and historian of science. She was formerly a Professor in the History of Biology at the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College, London. She is currently the Aramont Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University.

One of the most distinguished of all modern biographies * Guardian * A monumental and absorbing biography * Scotsman * Her first book, Voyaging, was hailed as a magisterial introduction to Darwin's life, a work that vividly evoked period, character and ideas. The only question was: could she follow it up? It has taken seven years to get an answer: an emphatic yes -- Robin McKie * Observer * Browne's first volume was warmly received when it appeared seven years ago, and the second triumphantly fulfils its promise...[a] remarkable book -- James Secord * Daily Telegraph * A marvellous book... This second part of the life stands on its own. Soothing, unhurried and absorbing -- Jane Ridley * Spectator *