Darwin and the Beagle [L0110]

1969 PB with amazing little wear. When the Beagle sailed in 1831, she carried a young naturalist, Charles Darwin, at age 22 still unknown to the world. Destined for the church, Darwin was cozily at ease with creation as explained in Genesis. But everything he encountered on the voyage -- from the primitive people of Tierra del Fuego to the finches of the Galapagos Islands, from earthquakes and eruptions to fossil seashells gathered at 12,000 feet in the Andes -- challenged biblical assumptions and led finally to ORIGIN OF SPECIES. "Mr. Moorehead's admirable prose style, his entrancing narrative...are beyond praise." (The London Times). Alan Moorehead was lionized as the literary man of action: the most celebrated war correspondent of World War II; author of award winning books; star travel writer of The New Yorker; pioneer publicist of wildlife conservation.

Recent Goodreads/Amazon reviews: "Alan Moorehead's writing is superb. Clear, easy to read, and beautifully written. The book is lavishly illustrated with contemporary (1830's) drawings and paintings. These add immeasurably to the pleasure of reading and to a full comprehension of the voyage. It really gives the feel of the trip as well as focusing on how Darwin developed during this supremely important five-year expedition."; "This book is wonderful. It includes dozens of period illustrations and diagrams, and is written with a Jules Verne flair. It seems that the author has taken some artistic liberties (he quite often recreates scenes and interactions based on deduction, not necessarily historic records), but despite that this book maintains a scientific authenticity from beginning to end. It's a fun, educational read, and I would especially recommend it for curious young readers."; "This book is the surreal story of a voyage around the world, led by the pious, eccentric, and adept Captain Fitzroy. We see a young and adventurous Darwin mixing with exotic tribes and swimming in a sea of newly discovered species. Fitzroy and Darwin are unlikely friends, the former serving as both a positive and an adversarial inspiration to the formation of the now famous theory. I highly recommend this book. It is regally illustrated, featuring amid other things FitzRoy's excellent illustrations of native peoples, and Darwin's sketches of various creatures."