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COSMOS: A Sketch Of The Physical Description 

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Of The Universe: Introduction 

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By Alexander von Humboldt 

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Humboldt's (1769 - 1859) great scientific and literary 

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achievement was the multi-volumned Cosmos, twenty years in the 

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writing, in which he attempted to describe the known physical 

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world. Humboldt's lyrical style of writing influenced the 

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subsequent genre of nature writing as well as many of the 

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towering figures of the Romantic movement. This librivox 

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recording is of the Introduction to Cosmos. The Introduction gives 

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a good measure of the breadth of Humboldt's mind and is a 

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pleasure to read or hear because of its literary felicity. 

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Total running time: 02:40:12 

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Read by david wales 

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This recording is in the public domain and may be reproduced, distributed, 

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or modified without permission. For more information or to volunteer, visit 

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librivox.org. 

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Cover picture The Heart Of The Andes by Frederic Edwin Church (1826- 

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1900) in Wikimedia commons and placed in the public domain. Cover design 
by david wales. This design is in the public domain. 

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