Darwin and the Barnacle
ONE OF DAVID ATTENBOROUGH’S FAVOURITE BOOKS (apparently…)
In 1846, Charles Darwin has a secret: an essay, sealed in an envelope and locked in his study drawer, which will overturn human understanding of time and nature forever.
Now he must publish and take the consequences. But he hesitates.
First, Darwin decides to undertake just one small task: to solve the riddle of a tiny barnacle he picked up on the shores of Southern Chile, the last of his Beagle specimens. As it turns out, he could not have made a more fateful choice.
Barnacles are common to almost every shoreline in the world, but this barnacle doesn't fit established definitions or accepted archetypes. He promises himself a month or so studying this creature, this potential key, to try to understand the process of natural selection within this particular species. But eight years later, his study filled with hundreds of barnacle specimens in labelled pill-boxes posted from around the world, the case is still unclosed.
Was Darwin hesitating? Or was he testing his 'dangerous idea' to destruction?
Praise for Darwin and the Barnacle
‘A marvellous evocation of an eminent Victorian's passion for some surprisingly sexy sea creatures. You'll never look at a barnacle, or at Darwin, the same way again.’
- James A. Secord, author of Victorian Sensation
‘In Darwin and the Barnacle...ideas light up like matches on each page.’
- John Leonard, Harper’s
‘A spellbinding story, intricate and beautifully told . . . Darwin and the Barnacle will have wide appeal in our Darwinian age, just as Darwin's barnacles did in his own.’
- James Moore, co-author of Darwin
‘Darwin and the Barnacle weaves together science and humanity superbly, making it an absorbing accessible read.’
– Glasgow Herald
‘This is a brilliant performance with a grip like that of the Ancient Mariner. This is that rare book that sweeps you on from the first few pages...a brilliant performance.’
- New Scientist
‘Addictively readable.’
– Independent on Sunday
‘Richly detailed.’
– Kirkus Reviews
‘A fascinating account.'
– Publishers Weekly
'Brilliant, five-star history.'
– Country Life