Seventeenth century polymath Thomas Browne bequeathed to posterity a range of barely-classifiable books, within which are the first English uses of now-common words including ‘medical’, ‘insecurity’ and ‘electricity’.
Aldersey-Williams celebrates these literary achievements, but being largely a science writer, he is equally fascinated by Browne the inveterate experimenter, a gentleman eccentric taking part in the birth of modern science.
This is not a biography, for which there is simply not sufficient information; more a general musing, in Browne’s own fashion. Alas, Browne could be infuriating sometimes, especially where religion was concerned, and despite being an admitted atheist, Aldersey-Williams shares his hero’s flaw, particularly when using Browne as a stick with whom to beat Richard Dawkins et al.
The dialogue between subject and author could also profitably have been dropped. Still, if he succeeds in bringing Browne’s works such as the melancholy Urne-Buriall to a wider audience, Aldersey-Williams’ book will justify itself.
Book Review: The Adventures Of Sir Thomas Browne In The 21st Century by Hugh Aldersey-Williams
