“The first of five volumes appeared in 1845, when Humboldt was seventy-six. (Jefferson by now had been in his grave at Monticello for nearly twenty years.) It was an even greater sensation than his Personal Narrative. By 1851, eighty thousand copies had been sold. Indeed, Cosmos was one of the publishing events of the age, like Uncle Tom’s Cabin.stirred a whole new generation, in America particularly. It popularized natural science as nothing had before and made Humboldt a household word. McCullough, David. Brave Companions (p. 19). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition. McCullough, David. Brave Companions (p. 19). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition. ”
