Life of Alexander von Humboldt

First published in English translation in 1873, this is a detailed biography of the naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was one of the first champions of the multidisciplinary approach to science. Volume 2 of this biography, first published in English in 1873, provides an account of his later life, translated from the German edition of 1872.Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was a naturalist, explorer and philanthropist now well known for his multidisciplinary approach to science. First published in English in 1873, this two-volume biography was translated from the German edition of 1872, edited by Karl Bruhns, which had been compiled in commemoration of the centenary of Humboldt's birth. Incorporating numerous extracts of Humboldt's own warmly written letters and anecdotes from his many acquaintances, it charts his travels in South America, Asia and Europe. Volume 2 covers his later life, exploring his impecunious period in Paris at the École Polytechnique, where he shared rooms with the famous French chemist Gay-Lussac, and later, his close association with King Frederick William IV of Prussia. Ideal for students and researchers in the history of science, this is a minutely detailed and compelling insight into the life of the man behind the scientist.