Isaac Newton was born in rural England in 1643, in the age when Renaissance thinkers were challenging accepted ideas throughout Europe. His father, an illiterate farmer, died two months before his birth. Newton was a weak and sickly child who showed no aptitude for farming but was instead fascinated by sun dials, machines and kites. This vibrant biography reveals the genius inside the boy who would surprise all by becoming one of the most important scientists in our history.