This special anniversary edition of Burkhardt's bestselling work, "Origins: Charles Darwin's Letters: A Selection 1825-1859," now includes previously unpublished letters.

Charles Darwin stands as an icon in the history of science; a man who completely changed the direction of modern thought by establishing the basis of evolutionary biology. These letters offer a fascinating window onto the scientific observations, personal concerns and friendships of a great thinker, 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.

Charles Darwin is a towering figure in the history of science, who changed the direction of modern thought by establishing the basis of evolutionary biology. With a Foreword by Sir David Attenborough, this is a fascinating insight into Darwin's life as he first directly addressed the issues of humanity's place in nature, and the consequences of his ideas for religious belief. Incorporating previously unpublished material, this volume includes letters written by Darwin, and also those written to him by friends and scientific colleagues world-wide, by critics who tried to stamp out his ideas, and admirers who helped them to spread. They take up the story of Darwin's life in 1860, in the immediate aftermath of the publication of On the Origin of Species, and carry it through one of the most intense and productive decades of his career, to the eve of publication of Descent of Man in 1871.

From 1965–1968, I held an Agricultural Research Council Research Fellowship at Christ’s College, Cambridge. Later in 1981, when I was a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge and renewed my contacts with Christ’s College, my friend and colleague David Coombe, a Fellow of Christ’s College, informed me that a collection of letters of Charles Darwin had just been - covered in the Library storeroom, underneath the College. I had always maintained an interest in Charles Darwin, from the early age of thirteen, when I had rst read his books, with I might say some dif culty! This collection was the 155 letters of Charles Darwin to his second cousin William Darwin Fox, which had been given in trust to the College, in 1909, by members of the Fox family at the time of the Darwin Centenary celebrations. I was allowed access to these 155 letters and at that time made my own tr- scriptions. It seemed to me that this was a magni cent account of the lives of two naturalists of the nineteenth century, starting at the time that they were at Christ’s together, in 1828, and going to 1880 when W D Fox died – just two years short of the death of Charles Darwin in 1882. Of course this valuable resource had not gone unnoticed before. Darwin’s son, Francis Darwin had been given the letters in the 1880s, when he was preparing his Life and Letters of Charles Darwin in 3 volumes.

This Calendar is a catalogue of the letters the editors of the Correspondence of Charles Darwin have found to date. Information on the source and location of each letter is given, together with a brief summary of the content. First published in 1985, the Calendar has been amended to take account of recently-discovered material and re-interpretations or re-dating of known letters. A new supplement lists over 1000 amendments to the main body of the text, together with over 500 addenda relating to newly- discovered material.

The letters in Volume 9 provide another indispensable collection for those interested in Darwin's life, work, and world. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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