Get Free Shipping on orders over $49
The Evolutionist : The Strange Tale of Alfred Russel Wallace - Avi Sirlin

The Evolutionist

The Strange Tale of Alfred Russel Wallace

By: Avi Sirlin

Paperback | 1 November 2014

At a Glance

FREE SHIPPING

Paperback


RRP $29.75

$3.95

87%OFF

or 4 interest-free payments of $0.99 with

In Stock and Ships next day

It is the year 1852, and the origin of species remains a mystery. In a primitive hut in the remote Amazonian jungle, Alfred Wallace, a brilliant young collector of scientific specimens, lies wasted by tropical illness. He does not expect to survive. Healed by a village shaman, Wallace continues his pioneering fieldwork in the Malay archipelago, crystallising his ideas about evolutionary theory, which Charles Darwin had also secretly formulated but was reluctant to publish. In this new novel based on the scientist's extraordinary life, what unfolds is a dramatic tale of money, class, faith and discrimination.

Industry Reviews
"Wallace never attained Darwin's level of fame, perhaps because Wallace's radical ideas (including his belief in spiritualism) ran contrary to those of the scientific establishment. The Evolutionist brings to life a saga of passion for research, and the sharp divides of money, class, and discrimination. A strongly impressionistic portrait of an undeservedly little-known scientist, The Evolutionist is a raptly compelling read." - Midwest Book Review; "Brimful of factual details ... This novel will appeal to any reader interested in... the lives of the intrepid Victorian specimen hunters." - Historical Novel Society; "A wide audience beyond the scientifically curious will find this an easy read and come away with a richer understanding of the rigours of early scientific research both in the field and in the halls of established theory." - Professor Gene J. Parola, author The Devil to Pay; "An exciting adventure story well told." - Peter Hobson, Shiny New Books; "Avi Sirlin has produced an enjoyable and thought-provoking work which should thankfully introduce a remarkable (yet remarkably unknown) scientific giant to a wider audience." - Rodney Munday, sculptor of the Alfred Russel Wallace wall relief in Hertford; "A vivid and gripping read." - Natalie Heng, The Star online (Malaysia).

More in Non-Fiction Prose

In Praise of Shadows and Other Essays - Junichiro Tanizaki

RRP $27.99

$24.75

12%
OFF
Diddly Squat : The Farmer's Dog - Jeremy Clarkson

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
The Land and its People - David Sedaris

RRP $32.99

$26.99

18%
OFF
I Feel Bad About My Neck : And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman - Nora Ephron
Earthquake : the election that shook Australia - Niki Savva

RRP $36.99

$18.50

50%
OFF
Postscript : Life, Love and Loss in Australian Letters - National Library of Australia
Backstage : Stories of a writing life - Donna Leon

RRP $26.99

$22.99

15%
OFF
The Ruin of Magic : Longing and Belonging in Strange Times - Kate Holden
Alexander : God, King, Man - Edmund Richardson

RRP $39.99

$31.75

21%
OFF
Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia - Anita Heiss

RRP $32.99

$26.99

18%
OFF
Create Dangerously : Penguin Modern - Albert Camus
Notes on Nationalism : Penguin Modern - George Orwell
The Origins of Totalitarianism : Penguin Modern Classics - Hannah Arendt
Lost Connections : Why You're Depressed and How to Find Hope - Johann Hari
The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics : Boxed Set - C. S. Lewis