Darwin
Adrian Desmond and James Moore
Penguin 1992
pp. 808
[ biography, biology, history of science ]

Reading a seven hundred page biography is a fairly daunting undertaking,
and it took me several months to get around to starting this biography
of Darwin.  But once started I finished it in less than three days, which
says quite a lot given my normal practice of reading twenty books at any
one time.  _Darwin_ is an enthralling and inspiring account of the life of
a man who is interesting in his own right, not just because of the key
position his work has in the history of the biological sciences.

The authors avoid any kind of retrospective analysis at all and their
account of Darwin's life and work is strictly chronological.  So no
mention is made of the tower of the modern biological sciences that
rests on the foundations Darwin laid, and we are not told which of his
theories are correct and which incorrect.  The lack of forward pointing
references also arouses in the reader a feeling of expectancy and a
desire to know what happens (we look forward eagerly to seeing how _The
Origin of Species_ is received when finally published), and this gives
the biography some of the force of a novel.

The story begins with a description of Darwin's family background and
his education.  It then follows Darwin through the excitement of the
Beagle voyage, the laborious cataloguing that followed, and the gradual
growth of his radical ideas on species.  But he puts these aside for
twenty years, thinking they would be misused by radical agitators and
fearing the damage to his relationships with his conservative friends.
Meanwhile he spends his time in intense study of more "mundane" topics -
barnacles and pigeon-breeding and earthworms - giving him the extensive
empirical background he was to use so well in his writing.  In a more
personal vein we get an idea of the continual illness that plagued him
throughout his life, and his gradual loss of faith, culminating with the
death of his ten year old daughter.  The "climax" comes with the
publication of _The Origin_ and the controversy that followed.  While
details are presented only where they are interesting or relevant to
understanding Darwin's work and character, the authors have clearly done
some very thorough research in writing this book.  

Along with the personal details of Darwin's life and work, we also get a
picture of the world changing around him.  We are given a vivid and
lively picture of British science in the mid 19th century, with the
growth of the idea of science as a profession rather than the domain of
well-off amateurs.  The description of Darwin's relationships with his
friends and colleagues provide an interesting view of many of the
notable figures of the time.  Above all we get a broad picture of the
sweeping political and social changes occurring.  The authors have a very
broad-minded understanding of the relationship between science and
society, and their account avoids taking any dogmatic position on
theoretical issues.  Instead they try to present the full complexity of
the story, weaving their descriptions of Darwin's work and life and
social position seamlessly together.  As a result this biography will be
a rich source of information for those interested in the history and
philosophy of science.  

At any rate _Darwin_ is one of the most interesting (and enthralling)
biographies I've ever read.  Anyone interested in Darwin or the history
of science or life in Britain in the 19th century (or who just likes
good biographies) should enjoy it.  

Danny Yee (danny@cs.su.oz.au)
26/5/93