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Evolutionary science has become a contentious topic in recent years – it's been vilified as a contributing factor to immortality, and conversely, it’s been hailed as the most important biological discovery of our time. This scientific theory has become a demarcating political bastion -- a line in the sand that divides liberal and conservative, religious believer and non-believer, young and old, educated and uneducated. When theories of evolution first became well known among “scientists” and laymen in the late 18th-century, they were met with a similar blend of condemnation and fascination. Most notably, Christianity and evolution were seen by most as simply irreconcilable – if God had made each species and created man in his own image, how could evolution be correct?

1. ''Victorian Sensation: The Extraordinary Publication, Reception, and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation'' by James A. Secord.<ref>Secord, James A. Victorian Sensation: the Extraordinary Publication, Reception, and Secret Authorship of Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation. University of Chicago Press, 2003.</ref> This groundbreaking work deals with the publication of a work entitled ''The Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation'', published anonymously in 1844 by a geologist named Robert Chambers. Many don’t know this, but Chambers’ treatise was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the reception of Darwin’s theory of evolution in 1859.

2. ''Charles Darwin: A Biography, Vol. 1 – Voyaging & Vol. 2 – The Power of Place'' by Janet Browne.<ref>Browne, E. Janet. Charles Darwin: Voyaging: a Biography. Princeton University Press, 2005.</ref> Most historians of science view Browne’s two-part biography of Charles Darwin as the most thorough and engaging work on Darwin’s life and the creation of his theory of evolution by natural selection. Browne draws on countless sources, including Darwin's personal letters and journals to give her reader a crystal-clear picture of Darwin’s frame of mind before publishing ''On the Origin of Species'' in 1859.

3. ''The Politics of Evolution'' by Adrian Desmond.<ref>Desmond, Adrian. The Politics of Evolution: Morphology, Medicine and Reform in Radical London. University of Chicago Press, 2011.</ref> This work, as its name suggests, deals with how ideas about evolution were taken up by disenfranchised, politically agitated, and reform-minded peoples in Britain, Europe, and America to further populist agendas.

4. ''Evolution: The History of an Idea'' by Peter J. Bowler.<ref>Bowler, Peter J. Evolution: the History of an Idea. University of California Press, 2009.</ref> This is a great work for those who are looking for a primer on the history of evolutionary thought both before and after Charles Darwin. Bowler's work offers a wealth of references for those who wish to further pursue the topic.

6. ''Darwin’s Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution'' by Rebecca Stott.<ref>Stott, Rebecca. Darwin's Ghosts: the Secret History of Evolution. Spiegel & Grau, 2013.</ref> This far-reaching work explores evolutionary ideas that preceded Victorian evolutionary concepts by many centuries. Stott gives credence to the bravery of evolutionary theorists, from Aristotle to Darwin, for their willingness to defy societal norms.

7.''Darwin’s Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin’s Views on Human Evolution'' by Adrian Desmond and James Moore.<ref>Desmond, Adrian J., and James R. Moore. Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's View on Human Evolution. University of Chicago Press, 2011.</ref> This relatively new work examines Darwin’s views on evolution as a product of his passionate hatred of slavery. The authors posit that Darwin’s abolitionist passion ultimately compelled him to publish his theory on evolution, despite his findings being extremely controversial at the time, especially for a gentleman of Darwin's social standing.

8. ''Evolutionary Theory & Victorian Culture'' by Martin Fichman.<ref>Fichman, Martin. Evolutionary Theory and Victorian Culture. Humanity Books, 2002.</ref> This book is an excellent primer for those looking to learn more about how evolutionary theory was perceived among different facets of Victorian society.

10.''Victorian Science in Context'' by Bernard Lightman.<ref>Lightman, Bernard. Victorian Science in Context. The University of Chicago Press, 1997.</ref> While this book is not solely about evolutionary theory, it is, arguably, one of the best works on Victorian science and society ever published. It contains a collection of essays which masterfully illustrate the climate in which evolutionary theory was received.

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