a nice intellectual history of mainly English science at the start of the romantic era. very enjoyable and readable ( )

Interesting but a little too much detail; could have used more extensive editing. There was also too much repetition for me, especially considering that a "cast of characters" is included. ( )

This book describes the rise of science, in particular the appearance of the scientist as a separately identifiable job, from the late 18th century through to the middle of the 19th century. This story is told through the lives and relationships of three giants of science: Joseph Banks, William Herschel and Humphrey Davy. Holmes pays particular attention to the interaction between these scientists and the Romantic Movement, asking whether this was in harmony or conflict.

The history is exciting. These men did not just extend human knowledge, but opened whole new areas for research and analysis. They adopted the scientific method we understand today, based on observation, theory, experiment and the logical assembly of chains of evidence and proof. Herschel used his extraordinary astronomical observational skills to show the existence of ‘deep space’ and ‘deep time’ raising doubts about the central position of Man in the Universe. Davy practically invented the science of chemistry as we know it today and used its practical application to make real improvements in the lives of miners everywhere. Banks, through the Royal Society, drove science to the heart of governance in Great Britain and provided a key driving element in the expansion of the Empire.

These men were not just scientists. Holmes shows their own literary talents, often from unpublished texts, and their friendships with the literary giants of the time – Coleridge, Byron, Keats and others. Their most speculative and poetical scientific ideas could not have been made without this literary movement expressing a strong desire to discover and interact with Nature.

This is excellent history, revealing more than we knew about the lives and thoughts of the greatest men of science. Further, it reveals the positive reinforcement of ideas between the Romantics and the scientists in an age when the boundaries of knowledge and awareness of Nature were extended significantly. ( )

Hiding behind the impressive title of The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science, Richard Holmes has written a highly accessible book about the progress of science in England during the Georgian and Regency times.

This book is more than a simple timeline of historical events related to science and natural philosophy. It is a string of biographies and also a period history including the politics, poetry and religion of the times. Holmes is a fantastic writer with a sense of humor and an easy way of presenting what could be a daunting subject. Whether discussing William Herschel and his expansion of our knowledge of the cosmos, Joseph Banks and his exploration and leadership skills or Humphry Davy and his chemistry and engineering genius, each man comes alive and his contribution to science during the Romantic Era is clear. And if you have no interest in these pioneers then perhaps you will enjoy reading about Mary Shelley and the effect of her well-known novel on the public view of science or about the poets Keats, Shelley and Coleridge and their support of and inclusion of science in their poetry and prose. I enjoyed seeing how the groundwork was laid for such geniuses as Darwin and Faraday -- the establishment of a climate in England that allowed these men (and a few women) to revolutionize our theories and our world during Victorian times.

http://webereading.com/2009/10/new-re... ( )

Okay - finished the age of wonder while reading through a fit of insomnia early this morning. Richard Holmes' background is that of a literary historian/critic specializing in the romantic poets in particular. His approach works very well in this biographically grounded history of a distinct period in British cultural history. This age celebrated "the heroic" - whatever the field. And many of the major players, whether in science or literature or the battlefield, accepted this role, some far more avidly than others.

Astronomy, chemistry, scientific expedition , and, to a lesser extent, geology and electromagnetism are the featured sciences. The Herschel's astronomical ventures and Lyalls geologic forays into deep space and deep time respectively required educated Britons to rethink their place in the universe. The stories of the great natural history treks both created public heroes and a fascination with the world that seemed stranger than fiction. The British chemists, with Sir Humphrey Davy the lionized public face of British science at the fore, conclusively demonstrated that the "sensible interpretation" of the physical world was wrong. (ie fire was not an element but rather a chemical process). Additionally the chemists proved their social utility by making life safer and more convenient - perhaps the most dramatic example being Davy, with the aid of his assistant Michael Faraday, developing the Davy safety lamp for coal miners, based on his understanding of the principles of combustion, that made an incredibly hazardous occupation significantly safer.

British writers and scientists mixed both socially and "philosophically" - with Davy's friendship with the Lake poets being again the leading example. Holmes discusses the odd phenomenon of poets footnoting their verse with scientific asides - a practice begun by Erasmus Darwin, Charles's grandfather, and continued on through Shelley and Queen Mab! Davy wrote verse throughout his life (Southey was his initial poetic mentor) - and there are many examples of his poetry inspired both by nature, science and love.

The book closes with Darwin and the Beagle - signifying both a satisfying end to one era and the beginning of another even more contentious, arguably more productive, era in which science became increasingly more specialized and "professionalized."

The book is very nicely written, drawing heavily upon letters, memoirs and public writings of the protagonists. It is not so much a history of science as it is a history of an age in which science and society melded together more or less successfully, as demonstrated by the intertwined biographies of his main subjects. ( )