The Correspondence Of Charles Darwin

This volume of Charles Darwin's letters covers the year 1871, which was a significant year for him as it marked the publication of his book, "Descent of Man". The large number of letters in this year reflects the excitement and interest in his work. These letters also show how Darwin relied on correspondence to collect data and discuss his ideas with colleagues. The volume also includes personal journal entries from Darwin's daughter, Henrietta, who played an important role in her father's work. The letters are accompanied by notes and appendixes to provide context and make them accessible to both scholars and general readers. Overall, this volume is highly praised for its editing and organization, making it a valuable resource for those studying Darwin and 19th-century evolutionism.

This pivotal volume in the definitive edition of Charles Darwin's letters covers the year 1871, the year in which Descent of Man, Darwin's first public statement on human evolution, was published. The large number of letters in this year - more than 800 - reflects the excitement this caused. Darwin depended on correspondence to collect data from a growing network of contacts all over the world and to discuss his emerging ideas with colleagues, many of whom he never met in person. This year also saw the marriage of Darwin's daughter Henrietta, the first of his children to marry; the volume includes her personal journal of the year, published here for the first time, which complements letters that hint at her important role in her father's work as both commentator and editor. Notes and appendixes put these fascinating and wide-ranging letters in context, making them accessible to both scholars and general readers. Review: Review of volumes 19 and 20: 'The editing and organization of these volumes is, as always, superb; the Darwin Correspondence really does set the standard against which all comparable projects have to be measured. In addition to a wonderfully erudite editorial apparatus (the footnotes alone contain a wealth of invaluable information), all the surviving letters Darwin received are published ... as well as by dates, topics and so on ... the importance and usefulness of these volumes go well beyond the world of Darwin, or even studies of the many forms of nineteenth-century evolutionism. No Victorianist should be without them.' Jim Endersby, British Journal for the History of Science