Alexander Von Humboldt : A Concise Biography.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Daum, Andreas W.

Contributor:

Savage, Robert.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859.

Humboldt, Alexander von.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (217 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, 2024.

Summary:

An engaging account of the life and work of the legendary polymath Alexander von HumboldtIn this lucid biography, Andreas Daum offers a succinct and novel interpretation of the life and oeuvre of Alexander von Humboldt (1769―1859). A Prussian nobleman born into the age of European Enlightenment, Humboldt was a contemporary of Napoleon, Simón Bolívar, and Charles Darwin. As a naturalist and scholar, he traveled the world, from the Americas to Central Asia, and recorded his observations in multiple volumes. Humboldt is still admired today for his interdisciplinary outreach and ecological awareness.Moving beyond the conventional views of Humboldt as either intellectual superhero or gentleman colonizer, Daum’s incisive account focuses on Humboldt in the context of the tumultuous period of history in which he lived. Humboldt embodied the contradictions that marked the age of Atlantic Revolutions. He became a critic of slavery and embraced the emerging civil society but remained close to authoritarian rulers. He dedicated his life to scientific research yet was driven by emotional impulses and pleaded for an aesthetic appreciation of nature. Daum introduces a man passionately striving to establish a “cosmic” understanding of nature while grappling with the era’s explosion of knowledge.This book provides the first concise biography of Humboldt, covering all periods of his life, exploring his personality, the vast range of his works, and his intellectual networks. Daum helps us understand Humboldt as a seminal historical figure and illuminates the role of science at the dawn of the global world.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Introduction

1 Training the Mind

2 Constantly on the Move

3 The Interaction of All Forces

4 Gaining a Picture of the Whole

5 Delivering to the Public

6 I Love What I Comprehend

7 Between Cosmos and Fragments

Chronology

Guide to Sources and Further Reading

Acknowledgments

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Illustrations

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9780691247373

0691247374

OCLC:

1455751788