The Correspondence of Charles Darwin: Volume 7, 1858–1859: 1858-1859 : Supplement to the Correspondence, 1821-1857 - Hardcover

Darwin, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521385644 ISBN 13: 9780521385640

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1992

Synopsis

The letters in this volume cover two of the most momentous years in Darwin's life. Begun in 1856 and the fruit of twenty years of study and reflection, Darwin's manuscript on the species question was a little more than half finished, and at least two years from publication, when in June 1858 Darwin unexpectedly received a letter and a manuscript from Alfred Russel Wallace indicating that he too had independently formulated a theory of natural selection. The letters detail the various stages in the preparation of what was to become one of the world's most famous works: Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, published by John Murray in November 1859. They reveal the first impressions of Darwin's book given by his most trusted confidants, and they relate Darwin's anxious response to the early reception of his theory by friends, family members, and prominent naturalists. This volume provides the capstone to Darwin's remarkable efforts for more than two decades to solve one of nature's greatest riddles - the origin of species.

About this title

Review

'Surely destined to stand as one of the triumphs in scope and excellence of post-war publishing in England.' The Sunday Times

'The Correspondence in its totality is a treasure house for scientists, sociologists, historians and geographers alike. It also makes fascinating general reading.' New Scientist

'The Calendar of The Correspondence of Charles Darwin is ... one of the most important reference books to be published in the twentieth century.' Isis

'A veritable reference guide to early Victorian natural science.' Nature

About the Author

James A. Secord has served as Director of the Darwin Correspondence Project since 2006. He is Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Christ's College. Besides his work for the Darwin Project, his research focuses on the history of science from the late eighteenth to the early twentieth centuries. His book, Victorian Sensation: The Extraordinary Publication, Reception, and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation (2000), won the Pfizer Prize of the History of Science Society.

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and author best-known for his revolutionary theories on the origin of species, human evolution, and natural selection. A life-long interest in the natural world led Darwin to neglect his medical studies and instead embark on a five-year scientific voyage on the HMS Beagle, where he established his reputation as a geologist and gathered much of the evidence that fuelled his later theories.A prolific writer, Darwin s most famous published works include The Voyage of the Beagle, On the Origin of Species, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, and The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals. Darwin died in 1882, and in recognition of his contributions to science, is buried in Westminster Abbey along with John Herschel and Isaac Newton.

SYDNEY SMITH is an illustrator born and bred in Nova Scotia. He attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and has been in Halifax since receiving his BFA in 2006. Since then, he has collaborated with many musicians and authors, including two children's books with Sheree Fitch. He was awarded the Mayor's Award for "Mable Murple" in 2011.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 1992
• ISBN 10: 0521385644
• ISBN 13: 9780521385640
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 671
• Editor: Burkhardt Frederick, Smith Sydney