Charles Darwin was an old man when he sat down to write a few words about his life. He was also famous, possibly the most famous man of his day. From the moment of the publication of his book The Origin of the Species (1859), which challenged the traditional view of Creation, he found himself at the center of a storm which still rages.

A shy, often sickly and retiring man, Darwin did his best to stay out of that storm, but in 1876, after all the years of insults and accolades, Darwin decided to speak for himself. He did not intend his autobiography to be for public consumption. Rather, he wanted to explain himself to his family and, by way of moral lessons and anecdotes, to guide them in their lives. The Autobiography is an intriguing example of the genre and gives us the opportunity to glimpse the inner feelings of one of the most influential men of modern history, a man who changed the world with an idea.