Ecce Huxleys

Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–95), “Darwin’s bulldog,” and his grandson Julian Huxley (1887–1975), the first director of unesco, were dominating figures of modern biology. That was especially so in biology as perceived by the public, as they were exceptionally talented at public communication. T. H.’s coining of the word “agnostic” and Julian’s promotion of the word “transhumanism” are signs of their ability both to anticipate and to influence the direction of ideas. A joint biography situating them in their times is a promising project. With The Huxleys: An Intimate History of Evolution, Alison Bashford succeeds in telling a revealing story of the transmutation of thought within and beyond biology over a crucial century and a half.