This volume examines and recounts the history of the men and women whose discoveries and inventions at the end of the eighteenth century gave birth to the Romantic Age of Science. Notable among them are Joseph Banks, a botanist whose experiences in Tahiti were life-changing; William Herschel, the eccentric astronomer who (aided invaluably by his devoted sister, Caroline) discovered the planet Uranus; and Humphrey Davy, an intrepid chemist who conducted gas inhalation experiments on himself. These and others are depicted against the cultural tapestry of an age of idealism, which was both fueled and threatened by the advances of science.

Joseph Banks in paradise -- Herschel on the moon -- Balloonists in heaven -- Herschel among the stars -- Mungo Park in Africa -- Davy on the gas -- Dr. Frankenstein and the soul -- Davy and the lamp -- Sorcerer and apprentice -- Young scientists.