his stunning documentary tells the little-known story of how Darwin
came to write his great masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, a book
which explains the wonderful variety of the natural world as emerging
out of death and the struggle of life.
In the twenty years he took to develop a brilliant idea into a
revolutionary book, Darwin went through a personal struggle every bit
as turbulent as that of the natural world he observed. Fortunately, he
left us an extraordinary record of his brilliant insights, observations
of nature, and touching expressions of love and affection for those
around him.
He also wrote frank accounts of family tragedies, physical illnesses
and moments of self-doubt, as he laboured towards publication of the
book that would change the way we see the world. The story is told with
the benefit of Darwin’s secret notes and correspondence, enhanced by
natural history filming, powerful imagery from the time and
contributions from leading contemporary biographers and scientists.