Gideon Mantell was an obsessive, passionate and dedicated enthusiast who, despite being a full-time country GP and family man, did much to establish the modern sciences of geology and palaeontology. That you have probably never heard of him is due to the machinations of Robert Owen, his brilliant and ambitious compatriot. Radical theories were no match for ruthlessness and this book charts the fortunes of both men - one to ruin, one to the top.
(Clive Yelf - bwl 24 June 2004 ) |
