Few lives of great men offer so much interest - and so many mysteries-as the life of Charles Darwin. Many books have been devoted to various aspects of his theories, his personality, even his inexplicable ill-health. Now, in this truly magisterial biography, Janet Browne brings Darwin to us whole. With great subtlety and understanding, using a range of materials and subject matter she is uniquely qualified to deploy, she enables us to see Darwin and the world of 19th century science with fascinating clarity. This volume, the first of two, takes him from childhood and university through the BEAGLE voyage, which shaped him as a scientist, and the years of experiment and thought leading up to his difficult decision to publish THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES.