Virtuoso by Nature: The Scientific Worlds of Francis Willughby FRS (1635-1672) (Emergence of Natural History 1)

Description:

Francis Willughby together with John Ray revolutionised the study of natural history. They were motivated by the new philosophy of the mid-1600s and transformed natural history into a rigorous area of study. Because Ray lived longer and more of his writings survived, his reputation subsequently eclipsed Willughby's. Now, with access to previously unexplored archives and new discoveries, we can provide a comprehensive evaluation of Francis Willughby’s life and works. What emerges is a polymath, a true virtuoso, who made original and imaginative contributions to mathematics, chemistry, linguistics as well as natural history. We use Willughby’s short life as a lens through which to view the entire process of seventeenth-century scientific endeavour.

Contributors are Tim Birkhead, Isabelle Charmantier, David Cram, Meghan Doherty, Mark Greengrass, Daisy Hildyard, Dorothy Johnston, Sachiko Kusukawa, Brian Ogilvie, William Poole, Chris Preston, Anna Marie Roos, Richard Serjeantson, Paul J. Smith and Benjamin Wardhaugh.