Alison Bashford discusses the Huxley family – a dynasty of pioneering natural scientists and thinkers

By Ellie Cawthorne

Published: Friday, 06 October 2023 at 06:52 AM


Known as “Darwin’s bulldog”, Thomas Henry Huxley fought a tireless battle against the opponents of evolutionary theory. His grandson Julian lived among the animals of London Zoo and made nature documentaries with a young David Attenborough. Alison Bashford is the author of a Cundill Prize-shortlisted book on the Huxley family, An Intimate History of Evolution. Speaking to Ellie Cawthorne, she reveals how this pioneering dynasty of scientists and thinkers shaped our view of nature across the 19th and 20th centuries.

Alison Bashford is the author of An Intimate History of Evolution: The Story of the Huxley Family (Penguin, 2023)