The naturalist knew his work on evolution would be contentious. But a new biography reveals his canny PR strategy.
The father of evolutionary theory, Charles Darwin was disappointed with the critical reception his hypotheses often received. Getty
In November 1859, the naturalist Charles Darwin was taking the ‘water cure’ in West Yorkshire and preparing to release his seminal work, On the Origin of Species.
His voyage around the world on HMS Beagle, which inspired his thinking on evolution, was 20 years past. Ever since, he had been gathering evidence for his theory in secret.
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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/charles-darwin-s-nervous-book-launch-was-like-no-other-20250513-p5lyp7
