Product Description

On 27th December 1831, HMS Beagle set out from Plymouth under the command of Captain Robert Fitzroy on a voyage that lasted nearly 5 years. The purpose of the trip was to complete a survey of the southern coasts of South America, and afterwards to circumnavigate the globe. The ship’s geologist and naturalist was Charles Darwin. Darwin kept a diary throughout the voyage in which he recorded his daily activities, not only on board the ship but also during the several long journeys that he made on horseback in Patagonia and Chile. His entries tell the story of one of the most important scientific journeys ever made with matchless immediacy and vivid descriptiveness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63162 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 500 pages

Review
From the reviews: ‘… a record of his immediate feelings, the sea-sickness, the triumphs of his palaeontological finds, close shaves with General Rosas and military activity in Patagonia, drinking maté and smoking cigarilloes with the Gaucho, the stars glittering over the Andes … vivid and expressive...’. Janet Browne

‘Besides being an intriguing read, this book is a source of information that is invaluable to any student whose interest strays into the Darwin saga.’ Open History

‘What emerges more strongly are the vicissitudes of long distance travel in the 1830s … and a flavour of Darwin’s own personality … the book is highly recommended.’ Paul Ashtron, Biologist

About the Author
Richard Darwin Keynes is Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the University of Cambridge, and fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge. In parallel with research and teaching on physiology and biophysics, he has a long-standing interest in the voyage of the Beagle, and has also edited The Beagle Record (1979) and Charles Darwin’s Zoology Notes and Specimen Lists from the H. M. S. Beagle (2000).

Customer Reviews

Very interesting
This is a very interesting story of a voyage that changed the perception of the world.
As a young naturalist Darwin went on board the Beagle to map and make observations of South America. One can only imagine how exciting it must have been for him to be around so much wildlife and new species , his senses must have been on overdrive all the time.

The book is a transcript from his diary with some illustrations ,more maps would have been welcome in this edition. A basic knowledge of Biology and geography is needed to fully appreciate this book.

Very good read.