The Evolution of Charles Darwin: The Epic Voyage of the Beagle That Forever Changed Our View of Life on Earth
Book by Diana Preston
DETAILS
Publisher : Atlantic Monthly Press (October 4, 2022) Language : English Hardcover : 448 pages ISBN-10 : 0802160182 ISBN-13 : 978-0802160188 Item Weight : 1.6 pounds Dimensions : 6.4 x 1.7 x 9.1 inches Best Sellers Rank: #44,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #19 in Environmentalist & Naturalist Biographies #36 in Natural History (Books) #61 in Expeditions & Discoveries World History (Books) , From the Los Angeles Times Book Prize–winning historian, the colorful, dramatic story of Charles Darwin’s journey on HMS Beagle that inspired the evolutionary theories in his path-breaking books On the Origin of Species and The Descent of Man When twenty-two-year-old aspiring geologist Charles Darwin boarded HMS Beagle in 1831 with his microscopes and specimen bottles—invited by ship’s captain Robert FitzRoy who wanted a travel companion at least as much as a ship’s naturalist—he hardly thought he was embarking on what would become perhaps the most important and epoch-changing voyage in scientific history. Nonetheless, over the course of the five-year journey around the globe in often hard and hazardous conditions, Darwin would make observations and gather samples that would form the basis of his revolutionary theories about the origin of species and natural selection. Drawing on a rich range of revealing letters, diary entries, recollections of those who encountered him, and Darwin’s and FitzRoy’s own accounts of what transpired, Diana Preston chronicles the epic voyage as it unfolded, tracing Darwin’s growth from untested young man to accomplished adventurer and natural scientist in his own right. Darwin often left the ship to climb mountains, navigate rivers, or ride hundreds of miles, accompanied by local guides whose languages he barely understood, across pampas and through rainforests in search of further unique specimens. From the wilds of Patagonia to the Galápagos and other Atlantic and Pacific islands, as Preston vibrantly relates, Darwin collected and contrasted volcanic rocks and fossils large and small, witnessed an earthquake, and encountered the Argentinian rhea, Falklands fox, and Galápagos finch, through which he began to discern connections between deep past and present. Darwin never left Britain again after his return in 1836, though his mind journeyed far and wide to develop the theories that were first revealed, after great delay and with trepidation about their reception, in 1859 with the publication of his epochal book On the Origin of Species . Offering a unique portrait of one of history’s most consequential figures, The Evolution of Charles Darwin is a vital contribution to our understanding of life on Earth. Read more
REVIEW
When Charles Darwin signed up to voyage on the Beagle he was a young man looking for adventure, When the Beagle returned to England five years later the pattern of his life was set, although he could not know it at the time. Diana Preston has done an excellent job of conveying the voyage of ship and man. Her conversational style, backed up by her voluminous research, makes for an enjoyable reading experience. There is a lot to learn from this book, and it gives the reader a great deal to think about. The voyage on the Beagle was the making of the mature Charles Darwin, and thus a great influence on the modern world as we know it. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
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