AutobiographiesA glimpse into the mind of one of the world's intellectual giants The Autobiographies of Charles Darwin (1809-82) provide a fascinating glimpse into the mind and experiences of one of the world's intellectual giants. They begin with engaging memories of his childhood and youth and of his burgeoning scientific curiosity and love of the natural world, which led to him joining the expedition on the Beagle. Darwin follows this with survey of his career and ends with a reckoning of his life's work. Interspersed with these recollections are fascinating portraits - from his devoted wife Emma and his talented father, both bullying and kind, to the leading figures of the Victorian scientific world he counted among his friends, including Lyell and Huxley. Honest and illuminating, these memoirs reveal a man who was isolated by his controversial beliefs and whose towering achievements were attained by a life-long passion for the discoveries of science. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators. |
Contents
An autobiographical fragment | 1 |
1876 May 31 Recollections of the Development of my Mind and Character | 6 |
Cambridge 18281831 | 29 |
from Dec 27 1831 to Oct 2 1836 | 39 |
From my return to England Oct 2 1836 to my marriage Jan 29 1839 | 47 |
Religious Belief | 49 |
From my marriage Jan 29 1839 and residence in Upper Gower St to our leaving London and settling at Down Sep 14 1842 | 56 |
Residence at Down from Sep 14 1842 to the present time 1876 | 68 |
My Several Publications | 70 |
BIOGRAPHICAL REGISTER | 91 |
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Common terms and phrases
admiration afterwards animals answered Asa Gray asked attended autobiography Beagle became beetles believe botanist Cambridge Carlyle character Charles Darwin Christ's College clergyman collecting delight doubt Edinburgh edition Emma Emma Wedgwood England Erasmus excited facts father feelings felt FitzRoy FitzRoy's friends gave gentleman geologist greatly heard Henslow HMS Beagle Hooker Huxley illness interest Josiah Wedgwood Journal kind knew labour lectures letter lived London Lyell Maer manner memory mind natural history natural selection naturalist never observations once Origin of Species Penguin Classics persons plants pleasure published recollect remarkable remember Robert Robert FitzRoy Robert Waring Darwin scientific Sedgwick seemed shooting Shrewsbury Shrewsbury School sisters soon strong taste theory thought told took transmutation of species University University College London views voyage walk Wedgwood Wellcome Trust whilst whole wife words writing young