They may be the two most influential scientists on the modern world whom you've never heard of. German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) brought a modern understanding of science to lay audiences for the first time with his five-volume masterwork Kosmos, in which he sought to unify humanity's understanding of the natural world. His elder brother, government minister, philosopher, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) pioneered the kind of educational systems that would become the model for those used in the United States and Japan. Here, in one volume, are two monographs on the lives of the great men. HERMANN KLENCKE (1813-1881) expounds on the dramatic influence of Alexander's work on Western thought. GUSTAV SCHLESIER covers the life of Wilhelm, with special emphasis on the politics of his era and how he used them to reform public education. Translated from the German by JULIETTE BAUER and first published in English in 1853, this hard-to-find classic offers the valuable perceptions of authors writing from the time when the authority of these two important men was beginning to be felt. Anyone interested in the history of modern science will find this perspective priceless.

Reprint of the original from 1853. On the cover a picture of the Humboldts with Schiller and Goethe.

This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone

They may be the two most influential scientists on the modern world whom you've never heard of. German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) brought a modern understanding of science to lay audiences for the first time with his five-volume masterwork Kosmos, in which he sought to unify humanity's understanding of the natural world. His elder brother, government minister, philosopher, and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) pioneered the kind of educational systems that would become the model for those used in the United States and Japan. Here, in one volume, are two monographs on the lives of the great men. HERMANN KLENCKE (1813-1881) expounds on the dramatic influence of Alexander's work on Western thought. GUSTAV SCHLESIER covers the life of Wilhelm, with special emphasis on the politics of his era and how he used them to reform public education. Translated from the German by JULIETTE BAUER and first published in English in 1853, this hard-to-find classic offers the valuable perceptions of authors writing from the time when the authority of these two important men was beginning to be felt. Anyone interested in the history of modern science will find this perspective priceless.