Darwin: Janet Browne *****

This is described as the definitive biography of Charles Darwin - and I really can't argue. It's a condensation of the original two-volume edition, but still a chunky 500+ pages before getting to the notes - as such it is, frankly, longer my preferred length, but though just occasionally there was too much detail, it remains highly readable and gives a brilliant insight into Darwin's family life as much as his work.

We get, of course, his academic background, the voyage of the Beagle and the slow move towards Origin of Species, suddenly spurred on by competition. Then there's the later books, with the particularly contentious Descent of Man amongst them. And it's all excellent stuff. But I think the part that really captured me is Jane Browne's insight into Darwin as a person - an invalid for most of his life, and somewhat beset with doubts, especially as his religious beliefs ebbed away; a generally mild man, but capable of acerbic responses to criticism. And despite his thoroughly rational approach, a sucker for dodgy medical cures.

Just as one example of the fascinating detail, although I was vaguely aware of the somewhat inbred nature of the Darwin/Wedgewood/Galton families I didn't realise just how much cousin marriage there was - nor that Darwin himself was concerned that the deaths and long term medical conditions of some of his children was the result of this.

This is technically an academic biography, published by a university press - but don't let that put you off. Just occasionally we get the classic hallmarks of modern academic writing (empire and colonialism) but that's hardly surprising given what happened on Darwin's voyage - and though there's a certain amount of anachronistic criticism of the views of the time, it's never heavy handed.

I've always said that my favourite biographical take on Darwin is his own autobiography, initially written for his family and refreshingly short. Inevitably, though, that has various biases built-in, but it's still an excellent insight into the man and how he saw himself. Without doubt, though, Browne's biography surpasses this in giving a far more rounded view and a modern take on the life and work of an extraordinary individual.

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