The Age of Wonder

Richard Holmes was born in London in 1945 and educated at Downside School and Churchill College, Cambridge.

In 1974 his Shelley: The Pursuit won the Somerset Maugham Award and was described by Stephen Spender as 'surely the best biography of Shelley ever written'. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, was awarded an OBE in 1992 and the Biographers' Club Lifetime Services to Biography Prize in 2014.

He lives in London and Norwich with the novelist Rose Tremain.

'Rich and sparkling, this is a wonderful book.' Claire Tomalin, Guardian, Books of the Year 'Exuberant...Holmes suffuses his book with the joy, hope and wonder of the revolutionary era. Reading it is like a holiday in a sunny landscape, full of fascinating bypaths that lead to unexpected vistas...it succeeds inspiringly.' John Carey, Sunday Times 'Thrilling: a portrait of bold adventure among the stars, across the oceans, deep into matter, poetry and the human psyche.' Peter Forbes, Independent 'A glorious blend of the scientific and the literary that deserves to carry off armfuls of awards and confirms Holmes's reputation as one on the stellar biographers of the age.' Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year 'No question - the non-fiction book of the year is Richard Holmes's "The Age of Wonder", not only beautifully written, but also kicking open a new perspective on the Romantic age.' Andrew Marr, Observer, Books of the Year 'Itself a wonder - a masterpiece of skilful and imaginative storytelling.' Michael Holroyd, Guardian, Books of the Year 'Dazzling and approachable. It's a brilliantly written account...original in its connections and very generous in its attention.' Andrew Motion, Guardian, Books of the Year 'Witty, intellectually dazzling and wholly gripping.' Richard Mabey, Guardian, Books of the Year 'So immediate and so beguiling is Holmes's prose that we are with him all the way.' Sunday Telegraph 'Brimming with anecdote, Holmes's enthusiastic narrative amply conveys the period's spirited, often reckless pursuit of discovery with an astute balance of technical detail and the wider cultural picture.' Financial Times

'Rich and sparkling, this is a wonderful book.' Claire Tomalin, Guardian, Books of the Year

'Exuberant...Holmes suffuses his book with the joy, hope and wonder of the revolutionary era. Reading it is like a holiday in a sunny landscape, full of fascinating bypaths that lead to unexpected vistas...it succeeds inspiringly.' John Carey, Sunday Times

'Thrilling: a portrait of bold adventure among the stars, across the oceans, deep into matter, poetry and the human psyche.' Peter Forbes, Independent

'A glorious blend of the scientific and the literary that deserves to carry off armfuls of awards and confirms Holmes's reputation as one on the stellar biographers of the age.' Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Telegraph, Books of the Year

'No question - the non-fiction book of the year is Richard Holmes's "The Age of Wonder", not only beautifully written, but also kicking open a new perspective on the Romantic age.' Andrew Marr, Observer, Books of the Year

'Itself a wonder - a masterpiece of skilful and imaginative storytelling.' Michael Holroyd, Guardian, Books of the Year

'Dazzling and approachable. It's a brilliantly written account...original in its connections and very generous in its attention.' Andrew Motion, Guardian, Books of the Year

'Witty, intellectually dazzling and wholly gripping.' Richard Mabey, Guardian, Books of the Year

'So immediate and so beguiling is Holmes's prose that we are with him all the way.' Sunday Telegraph

'Brimming with anecdote, Holmes's enthusiastic narrative amply conveys the period's spirited, often reckless pursuit of discovery with an astute balance of technical detail and the wider cultural picture.' Financial Times