'can we doubt ...that individuals having any advantage, however slight, over others, would have the best chance of surviving and of procreating their kind?' In the Origin of Species (1859) Darwin challenged many of the most deeply held beliefs of the Western world. His insistence on the immense length of the past and on the abundance of life-forms, present and extinct, dislodged man from his central position in creation and called into question the role of the Creator. He showed that new species are achieved by natural selection, and that absence of plan is an inherent part of the evolutionary process. Darwin's prodigious reading, experimentation, and observations on his travels fed into his great work, which draws on material from the Galapagos Islands to rural Staffordshire, from English back gardens to colonial encounters. The present edition provides a detailed and accessible discussion of his theories and adds an account of the immediate responses to the book on publication. The resistances as well as the enthusiasms of the first readers cast light on recent controversies, particularly concerning questions of design and descent. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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"This interesting publication may help to cut misinterpretation and is a useful resource for anyone who wishes to re-read Origin illuminated by the perspectives of a modern biologist."
--Biologist, 1 November 2009 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
--Biologist, 1 November 2009 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Jim Endersby's major new scholarly edition debunks some of the myths that surround Darwin's book, and expores how it was originally written, published and read. Endersby provides a new, up-to-date and very readable introduction to this classic text and a level of scholarly apparatus unmatched by any other edition.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 85 people found the following review helpful
By A. R. Jones
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a "coffee table" sized book i.e. on the large side which is a bit of a shock if you are expecting something you can carry easily. However the plus side is the fantastic colour plates and the addition of supporting material from the Beagle voyage, Darwin's autobiography and journals. A book to enjoy whilst sitting comfortably at home rather than on public transport.
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the most beautiful edition of Darwin's Origin of the Species I have come across. With lots of facsimiles of the original book, Darwin's letters and other memorabilia from the original it really adds to the book's content. Highly Recommended
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By sctrainer
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Yesterday morning I finally finished my Kindle version of this seminal work. As I read through the last and famous paragraph I was struck by three incongruent words; "by the Creator". I reread the sentence again to check that I had not misunderstood but it still looked out of place. Later in the day I began to read a paperback version of Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion". On page 32 Dawkins quotes the same paragraph but without the reference to "the Creator". It seemed highly unlikely that Richard Dawkins would have risked his academic credibility by misquoting Darwin, so I checked the quotation from other sources on the internet; none of which contained the words "by the Creator". The two sentences are shown below;
"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Dawkins and others sources.
"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Kindle Edition
I appreciate that Kindle versions are prepared by volunteers and, therefore, accept the occasional errors of grammar and spelling, but this cannot have been an error. How much more of the Kindle version that I purchased has been amended to give a Creationist spin to Darwin's Theory and how many readers have been unwittingly mislead?... Read more ›
"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Dawkins and others sources.
"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Kindle Edition
I appreciate that Kindle versions are prepared by volunteers and, therefore, accept the occasional errors of grammar and spelling, but this cannot have been an error. How much more of the Kindle version that I purchased has been amended to give a Creationist spin to Darwin's Theory and how many readers have been unwittingly mislead?... Read more ›
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
By Jason Mills
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This large (and attractively cheap!) book is instantly appealing, crying out to be flipped through. There are hundreds of photographs and drawings of animals, plants, people and places, and portraits of Darwin and his peers. There are also many text panels livening up the main read with extracts from Darwin's "Voyage Of The Beagle", and his autobiography, and the volume of his life and letters produced by his son Francis. These panels tend to form an unrelated 'sub-plot' in each chapter, adding colour, context and interest.
Darwin's text is still one of the world's most important books and I was delighted to find his prose so graceful, his tone so calmly intelligent, and his intellect so sprawlingly compendious. His book went through six editions in his lifetime, during which he tinkered with the text to answer his critics; this version wisely presents the original and uncluttered first edition text. Although I understood evolution by natural selection well enough before (Dawkins fan), I had not realised the degree of detail and care that Darwin brought to his exposition, and the amount of evidence he marshals from so many directions (embryology, geology, geography, taxonomy...). He also anticipates his critics by laying out what he regards as the problems for the theory, as well as its strength. The work will be a tad dry for some readers' tastes (I took a month over it), but it is a quiet joy.
Quammen's introduction explores Darwin's life and puts his achievement in the context of the time. Included as an appendix is Darwin's introduction to the third edition, in which he diligently credits all those writers who had approached the same theory before him (including Wallace of course). There's also a biological glossary and a substantial index.... Read more ›
Darwin's text is still one of the world's most important books and I was delighted to find his prose so graceful, his tone so calmly intelligent, and his intellect so sprawlingly compendious. His book went through six editions in his lifetime, during which he tinkered with the text to answer his critics; this version wisely presents the original and uncluttered first edition text. Although I understood evolution by natural selection well enough before (Dawkins fan), I had not realised the degree of detail and care that Darwin brought to his exposition, and the amount of evidence he marshals from so many directions (embryology, geology, geography, taxonomy...). He also anticipates his critics by laying out what he regards as the problems for the theory, as well as its strength. The work will be a tad dry for some readers' tastes (I took a month over it), but it is a quiet joy.
Quammen's introduction explores Darwin's life and puts his achievement in the context of the time. Included as an appendix is Darwin's introduction to the third edition, in which he diligently credits all those writers who had approached the same theory before him (including Wallace of course). There's also a biological glossary and a substantial index.... Read more ›
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was expecting an original copy of the text but with colour illustrations. However, many of the illustrations appear to be unrelated to the text. Also, if you want the background 'DVD Extras' type book, with additional text and letters, then this is for you. A hefty tome - more coffee table than bedtime reading.
Personally I want more original, less 'value add' - but then again, I never watch the DVD extras.
Also the paper was slightly undulating as if it had become damp then dried out. Can't complain for the price though.
Lots to love about this book for the price.
Personally I want more original, less 'value add' - but then again, I never watch the DVD extras.
Also the paper was slightly undulating as if it had become damp then dried out. Can't complain for the price though.
Lots to love about this book for the price.
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A beautifully presented book. The original text, in a good sized font, is accompanied and enriched by illustrations and excerpts from original journals.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book has been produced on the premise that two beautiful things, when put together, make something even more beautiful, just like wine and cheese, a sail on the sea, the singer and a song, a dove on its leafy branch, a man and a woman. Right? Wrong! Our lives are just not that simple as a few seconds further thought will confirm. How about olives and custard, a modern highway beside a country cottage, an opera singer bugling a rock song, a bickering pair of ex-partners?
More than others, I would expect those in the world of art and literature to understand that a beautiful object becomes more beautiful through its harmonious relation to others. In a partnership, each must speak to the other--strikingly, wittily, subtly, shockingly, artistically--in one way or another but the conversation must take place and it must engage. Sadly in this edition, the powerful words of Darwin's Origin of Species and the illustrations--a series of stunning images and quotations taken from his other books, notably The Voyage of the Beagle and The Autobiography of Charles Darwin--do not speak to one-another at all. They lie in stark isolation on the same page, a conglomeration of words and images, as scrambled as a dog's breakfast.
To take just one example, Chapter 1 on "domestication" is full of Darwin's observations and explanations about breeding of domestic animals--pigeons, dogs, cattle, domestic hens. It could so easily have been illustrated by contemporary drawings and paintings, many by Darwin himself, of domestic breeds. What do we get? Tropical forests, HMS Beagle, Captain Fitzroy, flamingos, a photo of ants and extracts from the Voyage of the Beagle. It is the same throughout the book.... Read more ›
More than others, I would expect those in the world of art and literature to understand that a beautiful object becomes more beautiful through its harmonious relation to others. In a partnership, each must speak to the other--strikingly, wittily, subtly, shockingly, artistically--in one way or another but the conversation must take place and it must engage. Sadly in this edition, the powerful words of Darwin's Origin of Species and the illustrations--a series of stunning images and quotations taken from his other books, notably The Voyage of the Beagle and The Autobiography of Charles Darwin--do not speak to one-another at all. They lie in stark isolation on the same page, a conglomeration of words and images, as scrambled as a dog's breakfast.
To take just one example, Chapter 1 on "domestication" is full of Darwin's observations and explanations about breeding of domestic animals--pigeons, dogs, cattle, domestic hens. It could so easily have been illustrated by contemporary drawings and paintings, many by Darwin himself, of domestic breeds. What do we get? Tropical forests, HMS Beagle, Captain Fitzroy, flamingos, a photo of ants and extracts from the Voyage of the Beagle. It is the same throughout the book.... Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully Illustrated!
Although this is 'the real thing' and therefore not designed for children, I bought this book for my grandson for his sixth birthday, and he loves it. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Chris M
5.0 out of 5 stars
On the book
DELIVERY: FAB
PRICE: FAB
THE BOOK: Brilliant read, all additions are done in good taste and fit well with the original writings, well worth the read.
PRICE: FAB
THE BOOK: Brilliant read, all additions are done in good taste and fit well with the original writings, well worth the read.
Published 4 months ago by Jack Whitehouse
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed!
I couldn't abide by the old-fashioned prose - I switched off after two or three pages! I don't think I'll bother finishing this book!
Published 4 months ago by Jonnybee
3.0 out of 5 stars
The kindle version lacks essential diagrams.
The work is an excellent thesis but is very dated. Much of what he says would unfortunately now fall foul of the racial laws, as he does use racist terms all too frequently by... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mike Pedersen
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Birds and the Barnacles
Dry as dust, difficult to read and, in places, tedious in the extreme - but I expected nothing less from what is essentially a scientific paper from the Victorian era. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Oliver Burton
1.0 out of 5 stars
Approach with Skepticism
Darwin's theory of evolution remains one of the most debated about theories in science. This book speaks of the original theory of evolution also known as Darwin's model (naturally... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Soul
1.0 out of 5 stars
Approach with Skepticism
Darwin's theory of evolution remains one of the most debated about theories in science. This book speaks of the original theory of evolution also known as Darwin's model (naturally... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Soul
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great book
I got it for my science loving boyfriend who does not like reading, however he is already started to read it. Its a very nice gift.
Published 16 months ago by Marika
5.0 out of 5 stars
for the biologist
This book will definitely get you in bed with a biologist. She will love the illustrations and she will love you. The perfect gift for a loved one who eats, sleeps, lives biology.
Published 16 months ago by Georgios Karakatsanis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lovely book
What can i say that already has not been said about this man.I suppose some may agree or disagree but all i can say is the quality of the book is amazing. Read more
Published 16 months ago by bubba
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