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Darwin's Illness

Ralph Colp Jr.

The year 2009 marked the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. From 1840 to his death in 1882, Darwin was constantly plagued by ... More

The year 2009 marked the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. From 1840 to his death in 1882, Darwin was constantly plagued by chronic illnesses that allowed him to work only a few hours at a time and by an obsession with his physical health. Was this the psychosomatic product of stress resulting from the development and public reception to his theory of evolution or the result of a disease or parasite obtained during the world traveler's excursions? In 1977, the author of this volume argued persuasively for the former explanation in his book To Be an Invalid: The Illness of Charles Darwin, now out of print, but considered to be one of the century's most important works on Darwin's life. Expanding and reworking his earlier arguments to take into account new information (including Darwin's “Diary of Health”, included as an appendix), this book paints a more intimate portrait of the nature and possible causes of Darwin's lifelong illness, of the ways he and Victorian physicians tried treating it, and how it influenced his scientific work and relations with his family and friends.Less

Preludes to U.S. Space-Launch Vehicle Technology: Goddard Rockets to Minuteman III

J.D Hunley

This book is part of a two-volume overview of U.S. missile and rocket technology. For nearly fifty years, a wide range of missiles and rockets has propelled U.S. satellites and spacecraft into the ... More

This book is part of a two-volume overview of U.S. missile and rocket technology. For nearly fifty years, a wide range of missiles and rockets has propelled U.S. satellites and spacecraft into the sky. This two-volume work traces the evolution of this technology, from Robert Goddard's research in the 1920s through the development of the Titan missiles and launch vehicles in the 1960s to the refinement of the space shuttle in the 1980s. With the first book devoted primarily to military hardware and the second to launch vehicle hardware, the text offers an overview of these impressive engineering innovations as well as insights into the dynamic personalities responsible for them.Less

U.S. Space-Launch Vehicle Technology: Viking to Space Shuttle

J.D Hunley

This book is part of a two-volume overview of U.S. missile and rocket technology. For nearly fifty years, a wide range of missiles and rockets has propelled U.S. satellites and spacecraft into the ... More

This book is part of a two-volume overview of U.S. missile and rocket technology. For nearly fifty years, a wide range of missiles and rockets has propelled U.S. satellites and spacecraft into the sky. This two-volume work traces the evolution of this technology, from Robert Goddard's research in the 1920s through the development of the Titan missiles and launch vehicles in the 1960s to the refinement of the space shuttle in the 1980s. With the first book devoted primarily to military hardware and the second to launch vehicle hardware, the book offers an overview of these impressive engineering innovations as well as insights into the dynamic personalities responsible for them.Less

The Whaling Expedition of the Ulysses 1937–38

Quentin R. Walsh

P. J. Capelotti (ed.)

In the spring of 1937, Coast Guard Lieutenant Quentin Robert Walsh received a special assignment aboard the whaling factory ship Ulysses. His orders were to monitor the commercial operation's ... More

In the spring of 1937, Coast Guard Lieutenant Quentin Robert Walsh received a special assignment aboard the whaling factory ship Ulysses. His orders were to monitor the commercial operation's compliance with international agreements protecting marine life, and what he observed shocked him. The Ulysses flew the American flag, but Walsh quickly realized that the venture was a foreign affair intent on harvesting whales of illegal size and importing the resulting whale oil duty-free into the U.S. market. This behemoth floating “factory” killed with appalling efficiency in order to reap tremendous profits. Over 3,600 whales were butchered during the ship's ten-month cruise. Though he was later an eyewitness to the death and devastation of D-day, Walsh maintained to the end of his life that his experience aboard the Ulysses had been the most horrifying he had ever endured. His report on the voyage helped set the stage for current U.S. policy in opposition to open sea whaling.Less