DARWINS NOTEBOOK: THE LIFE TIMES DISCOVERIES/ DARWIN (PB)

Many people have written biographies of Charles Darwin, but the story of his family and roots in Shrewsbury is little known. This book, containing original research, fills that gap. The key player is his father, Dr Robert Darwin, a larger-than-life character whose financial acumen enabled Charles to spend his whole life on research unencumbered by money worries. Through Susannah, his mother, we are introduced to the Wedgwood family, whose history was so closely interwoven with the Darwins. The stories of Charles' five siblings are detailed, and there is a wealth of local material, such as information on Shrewsbury School and its illustrious headmaster, Samuel Butler. Fully illustrated with contemporary and modern pictures, this will be of interest to anyone wanting to discover more about the development of Shrewsbury's most famous son.