Alfred Russel Wallace: A LifeA biography of scientist, Alfred Russel Wallace. In 1858 Wallace wrote to Charles Darwin and told him he had worked out a theory of natural selection. Darwin's outline and Wallace's paper were presented jointly in London. A year later Darwin published The Origin of the Species, yet Wallace felt no bitterness and in fact Wallace and Darwin became friends. Wallace had none of the advantages of Darwin. He was born in Usk, Gwent in 1823, he left school at 14 and in his mid-20s he spent four years in the Amazon collecting for musuems, only to lose it all in a shipboard fire. He later went to the East Indies where he began an eight year trek and discovered countless unknown species and identified the point of divide between Asian and Australian fauna, now known as Wallace's Line. This biography reveals Wallace as a courageous, unconventional explorer who loved the wild and the independent spirit of the people he met. When he returned to England he retreated into country life and stayed vital and alert until his death at the age of 90, in 1913. This biography hopes to put Alfred Russel Wallace back into the centre stage of the science world. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alfred Newton Alfred Russel Wallace Amazon animals Annie arrived Asa Gray Barra Bates's beautiful beetles birds of paradise boat Borneo British Association brother butterflies Charles civilised collecting collector Darwin to ARW Edward England Fanny Sims forest garden Geographical George Silk Guinea Henry Walter Bates Herbert Hertford Hooker Huxley idea Indian insects intellectual island January John Journal journey June land nationalisation later lecture letter Linnean Society living London Lyell Malay Archipelago miles Mitten months moved Museum Natural History natural selection naturalist Neath never Newton notebooks November OMNH Origin of Species paper ParĂ¡ plants Poulton published Richard Spruce Rio Negro river Royal Santarem Sarawak scientific Sclater seance seemed sent Singapore specimens spiritualism spiritualist Ternate theory took travels trees Violet voyage Wallace and Bates Wallace's week William wonderful writing wrote Zoological