The Age of WonderThe Age of Wonder
Score Modern
What it's about
Around 1800, science in Britain was an adventure. Richard Holmes tells the stories of the people who made it one: Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook to Tahiti; William Herschel and his sister Caroline, who discovered a planet and comets; the chemist Humphry Davy, who invented a lamp that saved miners' lives; explorers, balloonists and the poets who were inspired by them.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize. It's a joyful, vivid book about the wonder of discovery.
You'll love it if you liked
A Short History of Nearly Everything
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern
Genius: The Life and Science of Richard FeynmanGood to know
It's long and detailed. Each section focuses on a few people.
By the numbers
- Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics65 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #71 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #184 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #680 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1283 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
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All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2000sTop 25 · 490 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is The Age of Wonder worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the Samuel Johnson Prize. It ranks #1,283 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Age of Wonder about?
Around 1800, science in Britain was an adventure. Richard Holmes tells the stories of the people who made it one: Joseph Banks, who sailed with Captain Cook to Tahiti; William Herschel and his sister Caroline, who discovered a planet and comets; the chemist Humphry Davy, who invented a lamp that saved miners' lives; explorers, balloonists and the poets who were inspired by them.
How long does it take to read The Age of Wonder?
About 10 hours (380 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Age of Wonder won?
NBCC Award (Nonfiction) winner (2009).
What should I read after The Age of Wonder?
If you liked it, try A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt or Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman by James Gleick.