Richard Owen

Patrick Armstrong taught geography and ecology at the University of Western Australia for 28 years. He has written widely on the life and work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, and is the author of Alfred Russel Wallace (Reaktion, 2019).

[Richard Owen] was a scientific colossus . . . Readers may not leave with feelings of admiration for the man himself, but they will surely come to appreciate his central role in the vibrant enterprise of natural history in the 1800s. - Natural HistoryDo read Armstrong’s book. It is an excellent introduction to a complex man who engaged in a complex, intriguing but eternal science. - Evolution JournalThe author expertly analyzes the British social structure during Owen's day, which of course shaped some of his behavior. Owen resented Charles Darwin's work, his success, and his station in society. Armstrong also examines Owen's relationship with his wife, whom Owen apparently loved, although she did not accompany him on many of his travels. Finally, Armstrong reveals some of the background of London's large buildings, including Kew Gardens and the Crystal Palace. Even today Owen's influence on the structure of the British Museum can be seen in London's skyline. - ChoiceArmstrong’s biography accomplishes its admirable purpose – describing in considerable detail Owen’s many accomplishments and contrasting them with his disagreeable nature. - Geoffrey Martin, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Geography, Southern Connecticut State UniversityThis book is a fascinating account of the life of Sir Richard Owen. Patrick Armstrong’s balanced commentary of an intelligent but controversial individual makes for compulsive reading. - Vivian Louis Forbes, Adjunct Associate Professor of Geography, The University of Western AustraliaIn this lively and sure-footed biography, distinguished historian of science Patrick Armstrong brilliantly brings a lifetime of scholarship to the task of explicating why Victorian-era palaeontologist and Charles Darwin collaborator and detractor Richard Owen remains worthy of our attention. A fascinating study! - Tom Chaffin, author of Odyssey: Charles Darwin, the Beagle, and the Voyage that Changed the World.

• Introduction1 Northern Origins: Childhood and Early Life2 Early Days in London: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Zoological Society and the Royal College of Surgeons3 Monsters and Curiosities: Extant, Extinct and Non-Existent4 Dr Owen, Dr Mantell and the Dinosaurs5 Darwin and Owen6 Huxley, the Hippocampus and Histrionics7 The Evolution of Owen’s Evolutionary Ideas 8 Museums and Committees9 A Cottage in Richmond Park, by Grace and Favour of Her Majesty10 Owen’s Character and PersonalityChronologyReferencesFurther ReadingAcknowledgementsPhoto Acknowledgements