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About the Author

Diana Preston is a prize-winning historian and the author ofEight Days at Yalta, A Higher Form of Killing,Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy,Before the Fallout: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima(winner of theLos Angeles TimesBook Prize for Science and Technology),The Boxer Rebellion,Paradise in Chains, andA Pirate of Exquisite Mind, among other works of acclaimed narrative history. She and her husband, Michael, live in London.

Reviews

Praise for The Evolution of Charles Darwin:Named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews (Nonfiction)“Fascinating . . . A beautifully told coming-of-age story focused on Darwin’s psychological transmutation from a diffident specimen collector expecting to become a country parson to a novice scientist climbing the career ladder in London’s private and prestigious clubs and societies . . . Offer[s] new and exciting ideas that will likely beat out the competition.”—Robert M. Thorson, Wall Street Journal “[Preston’s] books are always entertaining . . . This book fits that mould; it’s an adventure story . . . The author has chosen the perfect topic. It’s nearly impossible to write a dull book about Darwin . . . The real attraction of this book lies in the way it turns the development of evolutionary theory into a personal story.”—Gerald DeGroot, Times (UK) “[A] meticulously researched compelling narrative . . . Diana Preston’s vibrant reconstruction of Darwin’s extraordinary journey, world-changing work and the consequences he experienced makes it all accessible and new in her telling.”—Janet Somerville, Toronto Star“An exciting biography of the immortal naturalist’s legendary journey . . . It was well into the 20th century before essentially all scientists agreed that Darwin was on the right track. Since then, biographies have poured off the presses, but readers cannot go wrong with this expert account. An irresistible scientific biography and adventure story with a happy ending.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“While much has been written about Darwin’s revolutionary scientific achievements on this journey, historian Preston sheds light on the voyage itself, its captain and crew, and the Native populations they encountered.”—Booklist (starred review)“A brisk and accessible account of how Charles Darwin developed his theory of natural selection . . . A rewarding look at the development of an earth-shattering idea.”—Publishers Weekly“Darwin was only 22 when he boarded the HMS Beagle in 1830 under the command of Robert FitzRoy as a ‘gentleman naturalist,’ unaware his name would one day grace an award honouring humans who remove themselves from the gene pool through misadventure. Drawing on the naturalist’s diaries, Preston’s biography reveals a man who, in his chauvinism and blind patriotism, was typical of his time—but in his liberal- and abolition-mindedness, atypical as well.”—Globe and Mail
Praise for Eight Days at Yalta:“A colorful chronicle of high-stakes negotiations and a study in human frailties, missteps, and ideological blunders.”—Washington Post“Ms. Preston’s conference narrative abjures authorial hindsight judgments, placing the spotlight instead on the characters’ natural blind spots and biases. She also devotes a full third of the book to the summit’s historical context and personalities, the latter of which are nicely developed.”—Wall Street Journal“A highly readable, highly detailed account of the historic meetings and often difficult and contentious negotiations between Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, and their staffs, and a vivid description of the once ornate Tsarist palaces and their much deteriorated wartime condition that served as the setting for meetings, dinners, and private talks.”—New York Journal of Books“Lively and nuanced . . . Shrewd on the main personalities . . . Preston goes beyond the horse-trading of three old men, with vivid scene-setting of the tsarist palaces where the conference took place.”—Times (UK)“In this well-written and absorbing book, Diana Preston provides a chronological narrative of these crucial eight days.”—Airmail“On the Yalta conference’s 75th anniversary, this insightful history recounts its enormous, if teeth-gnashing, accomplishments . . . Impressively researched . . . An expert account of an unedifying milestone at the dawn of the Cold War.”—Kirkus Reviews“[A] spirited, behind-the-scenes account of the February 1945 Yalta Conference. Preston mixes foreign policy critique . . . with vibrant descriptions of backstage activities . . . Colorful personalities, piquant details, and a diverse array of perspectives make this a satisfying introduction to the subject.”—Publishers WeeklyPraise for Diana Preston:“A treasure map of a book.”—San Diego Union-Tribune, on A Pirate of Exquisite Mind“A superbly rendered popular history.”—Booklist (starred review), on A Pirate of Exquisite Mind“Unforgettable . . . The definitive account of the Lusitania.”—Philadelphia Inquirer, on Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy“As majestic as its subject . . . Extraordinarily readable.”—Chicago Sun-Times, on Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy“An engaging narrative . . . Rich in detail and texture.”—San Diego Union Tribune, on Before the Fallout: From Marie Curie to Hiroshima“Ultimately this book is about survival, and the author engagingly recounts the nearly impossible task of trying to establish a penal colony with few supplies and poor agricultural conditions. Preston shines in her description of the true nature of Captain Bligh . . . A wonderful look into the beginnings of Australia and the remarkable strength of the survivors of these dangerous voyages.”—Kirkus Reviews, on Paradise in Chains