The Incredible Yet True Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt

Description

Explorer. Scientist. Polymath. Hero. In his day, Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was among the most renowned scholars of the Enlightenment. He led pioneering expeditions in Central and South America (including the Amazon rainforest) as well as in Siberia, and he arguably founded the natural sciences as we know them. Charles Darwin called Humboldt "the greatest scientific traveler who ever lived," and credited him with inspiring the journey that resulted in ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES. And yet, in history books, Humboldt has been eclipsed by his intellectual heirs and admirers - such as Darwin himself, John Muir, and Henry David Thoreau - until now. This captivating, richly illustrated narrative biography for kids will whisk away readers young and old, and inspire them to see the world through the eyes of one of the greatest early scientists.

Volker Mehnert was born in 1951 and spent many years living in Latin America, Eastern Europe, and the US as a freelance travel writer and author. His travels early on led him to follow in Alexander von Humboldt's footsteps. He lives in Germany. Claudia Lieb studied communication design in Munster and at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences. She lives in Munich, where she works as an illustrator and graphic artist in a studio community.

"[A] lively, detailed narrative . . . the beautiful, mixed-media illustrations aptly give the volume the feel of a scientist's sketchbook. . . . The overall effect is an attractive resource for studying early scientific inquiry and discovery."--Booklist "On the occasion of his 250th birthday, [Mehnert] offers an account of the life and exploits of the 19th century's most renowned celebrity scientist. . . . Hats off for a now-unconscionably little-known hero of science."--Kirkus Reviews Praise from Germany "So much more than the biography of a great man . . . it shows the diversity of the world, in all its facets, and how that needs to be protected."--German Academy for Children's and Young Adult Literature "Great illustrations. A work for the whole family."--Ute Wegmann, Deutschlandfunk, The Best 7 "Claudia Lieb is unbelievable in condensing atmospheres. When she shows Humboldt in the tropical rainforest, he runs through the picture with his giant telescope on a tripod in his hand, and is surrounded by an overgrowing green . . . Beautifully done."--Susanne Billig, Deutschlandfunk Kultur "You will be drawn into this reading adventure from place to place, and you will inevitably consider yourself Humboldt's personal traveling companion, and like to start your own journey to new shores."--Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung