Charles Darwin: a New Life

"A remarkably sensitive and revealing portrait. . . . Perhaps an ideal introduction to Darwin's life and work for the nonspecialist." —Frank J. Sulloway, New York Review of Books

"[Bowlby] meticulously details the family background, education, scientific discoveries and publications of a young man who nearly became a country parson but boarded the HMS Beagle instead. It's an impressive story, and Bowlby does an excellent job of explaining the scientific context of Darwin's The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man." — Publishers Weekly

"A thoroughly good biography in which Darwin is vividly present against the background of his distinguished family and his times." —Guy Davenport, New Criterion

"[Bowlby] has added immeasurably to the Darwin literature with this important biography. . . . What makes this an excellent biography is the fullness of detail, creating a portrait of Darwin as a remarkably likable, brilliant, and charming man." —Kirkus Reviews

"A vivid and engrossing account of Darwin's inner life and his search for the laws of life. We feel the durable texture of his friendships and family attachments, and we witness the slow, painful genesis of ideas that are still transforming the world." —Geoffrey Cowley, New York Times Book Review