Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, Inside the Beagle with Charles Darwin takes readers around the world on a voyage of discovery with the famous scientist, from his early meeting with Captain Fitzroy to his modest return nearly five years later. The book also looks at seafaring in the early 19th-century, including navigation equipment, the captain and crew, and life on board ship. We explore in depth the discoveries which Darwin made on the voyage, the specimens he gathered and the conclusions he came to. The final part of the book deals with his famous writings and the contemporary reaction to the idea of evolution. The book features cutaway diagrams of the ship, illustrations of the journey, maps, contemporary paintings, and photographs from Darwin's published works. Informative captions, a complete glossary, time lines and an index make Inside the Beagle with Charles Darwin an ideal educational text. It is an ideal text for shared and guided reading for Key Stage 2 pupils within the framework of the National Literacy Strategy. It helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14, promoting 'positive attitudes to learning', 'knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world' and 'skills in literacy'.
Fiona MacDonald studied History at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has might in schools and adult education, and has written many books on historical topics, mainly for children. Mark Bergin was born in Hastings, England, in 1961. He studied at Eastbourne College of Art and has specialised in historical reconstructions, aviation and maritime subjects since 1983. He lives in Bexhill-on-Sea with his wife and children.