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Excerpt from The Life of Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society: With Some Notices of His Friends and Contemporaries With the idea of presenting to modern readers an unfamiliar side of the eighteenth century, in which Science and Public Spirit would be represented, it appeared to me that a prominent figure could be chosen to serve as a common centre. The eye fell upon the name of Sir Joseph Banks: concerning whom many persons have vague notions of a distinguished character, not yet unveiled to the student of English social history. Banks's record is that of a man of unbounded Public Spirit. Science was his passion, and the public service through the applications of science was his constant aim. Fortune favoured him in several ways, and he left an enduring mark upon the times in which he lived. The ensuing pages will be something of a revelation; especiallyin the devotion and regard shown to Banks by so many varied characters among his cotemporaries. The man has practically vanished from our ken, as an individual; but, as the tale develops, we shall discover that Banks was the inspiring agent of a number of useful works which have permanently benefited the world. A detailed life of this worthy man has always been wanted. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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One of our greatest writers about the sea has written an engrossing story of one of history's most legendary maritime explorers. Patrick O'Brian's biography of naturalist, explorer and co-founder of Australia, Joseph Banks, is narrative history at its finest. Published to rave reviews, it reveals Banks to be a man of enduring importance, and establishes itself as a classic of exploration. "It is in his description of that arduous three-year voyage [on the ship Endeavor] that Mr. O'Brian is at his most brilliant. . . . He makes us understand what life within this wooden world was like, with its 94 male souls, two dogs, a cat and a goat."—Linda Colley, New York Times "An absorbing, finely written overview, meant for the general reader, of a major figure in the history of natural science."—Frank Stewart, Los Angeles Times "[This book is] the definitive biography of an extraordinary subject."—Robert Taylor, Boston Globe "His skill at narrative and his extensive knowledge of the maritime history . . . give him a definite leg up in telling this . . . story."—Tom Clark, San Francisco Chronicle