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Charles Darwin's voyage on the HMS Beagle is a gripping adventure story, and a turning point in the making of the modern world.
Brought together here in chronological order, the letters he wrote and received during his trip provide a first-hand account of a voyage of discovery that was as much personal as intellectual. We follow Darwin's adventures as he prepares for his travels, lands on his first tropical island, watches an earthquake level a city, and learns how to catch ostriches from a running horse. We witness slavery, political revolution, and epidemic disease, and share the otherworldly experience of landing on the Galapagos Islands and collecting specimens. His letters are counterpoised by replies from family and friends that record a comfortable, intimate world back in England.
Original watercolours by the ship's artist Conrad Martens vividly bring to life Darwin's descriptions of his travels.
Introduction Janet Browne; About this book; Acknowledgements; Symbols and abbreviations; Timeline of the journey; THE BEAGLE LETTERS; Further reading; Letter locations; Notes on the illustrations; Brief biographies and index to correspondents; Bibliography; Index.
Frederick Burkhardt (1912-2007) was the founder of the Charles Darwin Correspondence Project, and the associated high-profile book series The Correspondence of Charles Darwin (Cambridge University Press, 1985- ). He was the President of the American Council of Learned Societies from 1957 to 1974, and in 2003 was awarded the American Philosophical Society Thomas Jefferson Gold Medal for Distinguished Achievement in the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences. This volume is the work of the Editors of the Charles Darwin Correspondence Project (http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk).
'... truly a gem. ... One experiences with him the highs and lows, the excitement, the trepidation and pure academic interest. Like a drama, one is held in suspense, wanting to know the next instalment of the story. Complemented by many charming watercolour and pencil sketches by Conrad Martens, who travelled with Darwin on the Beagle and thoughtfully introduced by Janet Brown, this book will certainly appeal to all.' Biologist '... Francis Bacon ... once said, 'Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed and some few to be chewed and digested'. This one definitely belongs to the last category. Enjoy!' Lab Times
