The Autobiography of Charles Darwin

In this candid memoir the author looks back on the first decades of his life, offering a vivid portrait of a curious, restless child growing up in early‑19th‑century England. He recalls the tender memories of a seaside holiday, the sudden loss of his mother, and the modest schooling that sparked a fascination with the natural world. From gathering shells and minerals to a mischievous experiment with imagined coloured flowers, his early adventures reveal a mind already attuned to observation and imagination.

The narrative weaves together family anecdotes, the influence of a Unitarian chapel, and the formative habit of collecting that would later define his scientific approach. Though he confesses to youthful tall‑tales and harmless pranks, the underlying thread is a relentless desire to understand how living things vary and change. Listeners will find an intimate glimpse of the making of a thinker, set against the backdrop of a Victorian household where curiosity was both a pastime and a calling.