Man of Letters: The Early Life and Love Letters of Robert Chambers

Robert Chambers' life (1802-71) is a classic rags-to-riches story. Forced to leave school at 13 after his father was bankrupted, he set up as an Edinburgh bookseller with his first stock consisting of his old schoolbooks. By 1871 he was joint owner of one of the largest publishing houses in the English-speaking world, W. & R.Chambers, was a respected popular writer supported by Sir Walter Scott, and had published an anonymous and highly controversial book on evolutionary theory, pre-dating Darwin by 15 years. This biography shows the more sensitive side of this acute businessman and scholar. Weaving together his private letters and unpublished reminiscences it describes his colourful early life in Peebles, his initial struggle in Edinburgh and above all, his love-affair with 19-year-old Anne Kirkwood, conducted almost entirely by post.