A Long Life's Work

Despite never graduating from university, Sir Archibald Geikie (1835–1924) forged an exceptionally successful scientific career. In 1855 he was appointed to the Scottish branch of the Geological Survey, and by 1882 was Director General of the Survey. In keeping with his Edinburgh beginnings, most of his career was spent studying igneous rocks. He was a prolific and gifted writer, producing textbooks, popular science books and biographical and historical works, including the influential Founders of Geology (1897), as well as numerous technical publications. The only geologist to hold the post of President of The Royal Society (1908–12), he also served as President of the Geological Society of London and the British Association, and received an array of honorary degrees and medals. This autobiography, published in the year of his death, provides a readable, personal account of the life of one of the great scientific figures of the nineteenth century.