Markel, Howard
Origin Story: The Trials of Charles Darwin
- ISBN 13:
- 9781324036746
- author:
- Markel, Howard
- format:
- Hardback
- publisher:
- W. W. Norton & Company
- language:
- English
- Publication Year:
- 2024
- Pages:
- 368
- Dimensions:
- 23.3 x 16 x 2.6 centimetres (0.6
- Genre:
- Biography
- Condition:
- New
- Availability:
- Item usually sent within 7 working days
Description
Charles Darwin's groundbreaking treatise, On the Origin of Species, was at the centre of a heated debate at the 1860 meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The subject of discussion was whether Darwin's theory of natural selection was fact or fiction. Darwin, a reclusive and intellectually audacious individual, claimed to have solved the mystery of species origin, but he was absent from the debate hall, seeking respite from a prolonged period of illness. Medical historian Howard Markel sheds new light on the two-year period (1858-1860) during which Darwin wrote On the Origin of Species, as well as the mysterious health symptoms that plagued him. Markel's meticulous research reveals a compelling portrait of the man, his friends and enemies, and his seminal work, which continues to resonate today. Through a detailed examination of Darwin's life and work, Markel offers a fresh perspective on one of the most significant scientific discoveries of the 19th century.