charles_darwin

Annotated Bibliography
Keynes, Richard. Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians: Charles Darwin’s Adventures
and Discoveries on the Beagle, 1832–1836. London: HarperCollins,
2002. Very readable retelling of Darwin’s Beagle voyage. Keynes used
the notes Darwin made on the voyage, some of which are used for the
first time. Excellent resource on the Beagle voyage.
Mattson, Mark T., James L. Marra, and Stephen C. Zelnick. A Student Introduction
to Charles Darwin, revised printing. Dubuque, IA: Kendal/Hunt
Publishing, 1999. Excellent, simple introduction to the Origin of Species.
Has a helpful commentary on the argument in the Origin of Species
and good thought-provoking questions about Darwin’s work and
the theory of evolution.
Miller, Jonathan, and Borin Van Loon. Introducing Darwin and Evolution.
New York: Totem Books, 2000. A simple introduction to the theory of
evolution, Darwin’s life and work, and the immediate impact of
Darwin’s ideas. Written in nontechnical language and interspersed
with a large number of amusing illustrations and cartoons. Originally
published as Darwin for Beginners (1982).
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2004. Best source for biographical information on British figures,
including scientists and nonscientists, who lived in the eighteenth to
twentieth centuries. This is an updated version of the Dictionary of
National Biography, which is referred to in some libraries as the DNB.
(There is an online version.)
Peckham, Morse, ed. The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin: A Variorum
Text. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1959. Documents
all of the changes Darwin made to The Origin of Species between the
first and sixth editions. The changes are listed sentence by sentence
(which makes the text a little difficult to follow). Has useful information
about the publication of The Origin of Species, such as the cost of
each edition and the numbers printed and sold.
Tort, Patrick. Charles Darwin: The Scholar Who Changed Human History.
London: Thames and Hudson, 2001. Excellent introduction to Charles
Darwin, his ideas, and the theory of evolution. Has simple and clear
explanations accompanied by numerous diagrams and pictures, all in
color, to illustrate Darwin’s life and times as well as evolutionary theory.
University of Cambridge, University Library. Handlist of Darwin Papers at
the University Library, Cambridge. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 1960. The University Library at Cambridge has the largest collection
of material written by Darwin in his own handwriting. This
book lists the material held at the Library.
Wilson, Louise, ed. Down House: The Home of Charles Darwin. Edenbridge,
Kent: Westerham Press Ltd., 2000 (first published as Charles Darwin
at Down House in 1998). Guide to the life of Charles Darwin
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