Views of Nature Or Contemplations on the Sublime Phenomena of Creation

Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was an intellectual giant: an explorer who helped lay the foundations of biogeography, a naturalist who influenced Charles Darwin, and a botanist who developed a model of the Earth's climate zones. He travelled extensively in Europe, carried out scientific explorations across the Russian Empire and in Latin America, and devoted much energy to seeking a unified view of the different branches of scientific knowledge. Ansichten der Natur, published in 1808 with a second edition in 1826, aimed to 'engage the imagination' as well as to communicate new ideas, and was translated into many European languages. This authorised translation of the third and final 1849 edition, dating from Humboldt's eightieth year, was published in 1850, though another English translation (by Mrs Sabine) had appeared the previous year. The wide coverage, including geology, geography and biology, is typical of Humboldt, as is the precise and engaging style.

Publisher's preface; Author's preface to the first edition; Author's preface to the second and third editions; Summary of contents; Steppes and deserts; Cataracts of the Orinoco; Nocturnal life of animals in the primeval forest; Ideas for a physiognomy of plants; On the structure and mode of action of volcanos in different parts of the Earth; Vital force, or the Rhodian genius; The plateau of Caxamarca, the ancient capital of the Inca Atahuallpa, and first view of the Pacific from the ridge of the Andes; Index.

This is a selection of Alexander von Humboldt's favourite essays on natural science. The remarkable breadth of coverage (including geology, geography and biology) is typical of the author, as is the precise and engaging style. This English translation of the third and final German edition (1849) was published in 1850.