The Heyday Of Natural History

by Lynn Barber

First American Edition, Doubleday & Co., Color Plate and B & W Illustrations, The 19th Century And The Enthusiasm For Nature

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Natural History, Victorian, Science, Biology

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1980

Reviews

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deliciously engaging work of social history that acquaints you with all the major players of the natural history era and how they seamlessly merged religious devotion, poetry, and amateur science to create a curiosity for all things natural that ruled the Victorian era. Full of absolutely terrific anecdotes of 19th century ingenuity and eccentricity that will make you want to quote the book at dinner parties. This book does not contain any information on the impact natural history had on other areas of Victorian society or how the modes of reflection it encouraged gave way to early ecology and environmentalism, and it engages in a subtle, ironic mockery of some Victorian mores, but if you're willing to read it just out of love for science or to be transported to the Victorian era, you will find it is hard to put down.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is such an awesome book I'm driving Jake nuts with my excerpts read aloud every night. Lynn Barber covers this interesting period of history--when the study of natural history was considered less than "real" science and more a bunch of fad-like phases. Funny, informative, and my favorite subject! Barber's memoir "An Education" is what alerted me to this book.

[J Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the natural history movement in the 19th century, though I did dislike the organization of the text. The author's writing style was fantastic and really caught the highlights of the movement and individuals with the sort of detail that makes the book enjoyable.

[Jim Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up until the late 19th century, the sciences remained unclearly defined. Its “experts” tended to be skilled amateurs who through close observation and obsession laid the groundwork for what was to become fields like biology, geology, and paleontology. Most of these pioneers have been forgotten, swept away by Darwin who was the first to synthesize the ideas that the earth was ancient (most Victorians believed God created it in 4004 BC), and that plants and animals had slowly evolved from simpler lifeforms. Yet these early scientists laid the groundwork for Darwin and other more accurate and professional scientists. This book resurrects these forgotten men’s (only one woman, fossil collector Mary Anning, merits much discussion) theories and their impact on English and American society. Fascinating stuff for students of the history of science or Victorian attitudes toward science and religion. Barber’s writing is both clear and entertaining and her use of illustrations make this a gorgeous book to own.

[Emily Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. It is such a fascinating look into the history of natural sciences and to a certain extent the role of science communication, even though it takes place well before science communication was a thing.

It made me want to go to the seaside and look at rock pools.

[Marjorie Hakala]

I'm in the middle of this and it's fantastic. Vivid and informative and funny. And what do you know--I logged onto GoodReads to enter this, and found it was by the author of An Education. Funny little world, this is.

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on the Victorian interest in natural history, including some of the lesser known experts.