This Long Pursuit: Reflections of a Romantic Biographer

"My God, how does one write biography?" Virginia Woolf asked. For over four decades, Holmes (Shelley; Dr. Johnson & Mr. Savage) has been answering this question elegantly and informatively. This book forms a trilogy with Footsteps (1985) and Sidetracks (2000) as attempts at intellectual autobiography. All the chapters here began as lectures, articles, or introductions, and they cover a wide range of topics. The text opens with an explanation of how Holmes came to write The Age of Wonder (2008) about science in England between 1768 and 1831. This discussion is followed by his description of a course in life writing he taught. Many of the chapters provide thumbnail biographies, including those of Margaret Cavendish, Isabelle de Tuyll (who captivated both James Boswell and Benjamin Constant), and popular science writer Mary Somerville. Holmes is particularly eager to emphasize women's contributions to various fields. He also explores the role of biography in shaping—and sometimes misshaping—perceptions about an individual.