A review by danchibnall
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

5.0

This is one of the finest non-fiction books I have read in years. I tend to read non-fiction more than fiction and I simply could not put this book down. Holmes does a superb job of weaving the romantic art, poetry, and writing of the 18th and 19th centuries with the growing love of science. He successfully shows you just how science became so important in people's lives and how it made our world better in the process. The giants of scientific history that he focuses on (Banks, Herschel, Davy, Faraday, etc.) are not just interesting because of their accomplishments, but because of their deep passion for the natural world. That is Holmes gift to the reader: successfully showing you just how passionate people can be about the universe around them.

If you are a fan of scientific history, this book is a must-read.