The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science

When Joseph Banks stepped onto a Tahitian beach in 1796, he hoped to discover Paradise. The young botanist had set sail in search of new worlds – inspired by the Romantic revolution of science that was sweeping through Britain. In this ground-breaking group biography, award-winning author Richard Holmes charts the voyages of discovery – astronomical, chemical, poetical, philosophical – that made up this ‘age of wonder’. From telescopic sight to the miner’s lamp, and from the first balloon flight to African exploration, it tells the stories of great innovations, and the inspired individuals behind them. Breathtaking in its originality and storytelling energy, The Age of Wonder is a radical vision of the meeting places of science and art, and an extraordinary evocation of an era of exploration, discovery and wonder.