First published 2006
Brilliant naturalist Charles Darwin is a cautious homebody, more at home with barnacles than public debates. But the radical theory taking shape in his mind will upend our understanding of nature. Over two decades, Darwin quietly compiles his observations, torn between his radical insights and his dread of controversy. As he struggles to muster the courage to publish his findings, he must confront his own doubts and the looming threat of religious backlash. In the end, Darwin's world-changing theory of evolution emerges, driven by his relentless scientific curiosity and the ethical conviction that the truth must be told.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, non-fiction, 19th-century, academic, history-of-science
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ethical-dilemma, reluctant-hero
Setting: England
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
304 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton