Charles Darwin's Letters: A Selection, 1825–1859 - Hardcover

Darwin, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521562120 ISBN 13: 9780521562126

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Charles Darwin stands as a towering figure in science, who changed the direction of modern thought in establishing the basis of evolutionary biology. These letters offer a fascinating window onto his daily experience, scientific observations, personal concerns and friendships, affording a unique glimpse of Darwin as both naturalist and family man. From his early years at Edinburgh University up to the publication of The Origin of Species in 1859, the letters in this volume chart the most exciting years of Darwin's life, including the voyage of the Beagle and the subsequent findings which led to his theory of natural selection. The Cambridge Edition of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (winner of the first Morton N. Cohen Award for a Distinguished Edition of Letters) has been hailed as a monumental edition and a triumph of post-war publishing. This selected edition, introduced by Stephen Jay Gould, makes these engaging letters newly available.

About this title

Book Description:

This unique selection of Darwin's letters offers a fascinating window onto his daily experiences as naturalist and family man, up to the publication of The Origin of Species in 1859. The voyage of the Beagle and the subsequent findings which led to his theory of natural selection are central to these most exciting years of Darwin's life.

From Booklist:

This selection from the seven volumes of Darwin's collected correspondence spans the great naturalist's life and career from university days in Edinburgh to the publication of the epochal Origin of Species in 1859. Pride of place in terms of priority naturally goes to Darwin's youthful and seminal service on the Beagle, yet the whole gathering of letters constitutes a fascinating tale. In communication with an astonishing range of correspondents, Darwin begins his interest in natural science, collects evidence, and forms his theories seemingly as we watch. His correspondence comes from and exemplifies the arguably highest point of written documentation. Darwin and his educated contemporaries were literate enough to make their thought commonly and permanently accessible. Theirs is not the "communication" of the throwaway age of electronic information overload. These letters put us at the elbow of a brilliant man as he gives birth to some of the most significant ideas in the history of science. Dennis Winters

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0521562120
• ISBN 13: 9780521562126
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272
• Editor: Burkhardt Frederick