Darwin: The Life of a Tormented Evolutionist

"I’d read a lot about Darwin, but these two authors just brought him alive. The time period in which he lives, the people around him, his family members, his mentors, his journeys, his struggles. It is an almost four-dimensional treatment of Darwin and his life and times. It was perhaps the first time I encountered such great nonfiction writing. Great storytelling, and such a thorough arc of his life. It was a model for me. I think this is also true of Judson. You almost don’t know what books are capable of until you see certain examples. In this case, Darwin was vividly brought to life. They start with the boy. He’s a bit rambunctious, and very much interested in nature. He becomes a young man who is very uncertain of himself, and washes out of medical school. He has quite a dominant father, whom he wishes to please but is going to have trouble pleasing. You see somebody who, much like anybody 18, 20, 22 years old today, is trying to find their footing in the world. Then you see him grow up and find his footing in the world. And you see a person who is very well liked. This is something that people wouldn’t necessarily know or expect. He got along with people in all walks of life. The sailors on the Beagle , who were a pretty rough lot, were very fond of him. He was a good shot so he often was able to get fresh food for his sailing mates, which they definitely appreciated. He was a sweet guy, very kind to other people. I think people felt a lot of warmth and compassion towards him as he struggled to bring his ideas to light. He was a doting father – he had 10 children, 7 of whom survived to adulthood – and a valued friend. You see a good human being emerge in the telling of that tale, a real person and not just an icon. The torment was that he had this idea that he knew was dangerous, that it would be a lightning rod for intense criticism, that he would be reviled in many circles. His wife, whom he adored, and she adored him, was a devout Christian. She worried aloud about their future in eternity. He knew it was going to be difficult for his mentors who made it possible for him to take the voyage. Publishing his ideas was going to be like spitting in their faces. They were all ordained members of the Anglican Church, teaching at Cambridge. He was risking a lot, which was why he held back. He also had all these health problems, whether they were psychosomatic or whether they were illnesses he picked up on the voyage, there’s still a whole investigative history to be done there. He was tormented for a good part of his adult life."