Publisher's Synopsis
When the HMS Beagle sailed out of Devonport on December 27, 1831, Charles Darwin was only twenty-two and setting off on the voyage of a lifetime. Darwins remarkable voyage throughout South America and the Pacific islands lasted five years and transformed him from an amiable and somewhat aimless young man into a scientific celebrity. Even more vitally, it set in motion the intellectual currents that culminated in the arrival of The Origin of Species, which detailed Darwins revolutionary theory of natural selection, in 1859. During his years on the Beagle, Darwin kept a journal that is now considered by many to be the greatest scientific travel narrative ever written. Revised by the author in 1860 and published as The Voyage of the Beagle, his records are vivid and immediate. This account of the journeys that first put Darwin on the track of his remarkable theories derives an added charm from his vivid description of his travels in exotic places. His voice brings to life a world of natural wonders, transporting readers to Chile, Argentina, the Andes Mountains, and the Galapagos Islands, the unique ecosystem that inspired his groundbreaking workwork that is as relevant today as it was when Darwin first revealed his revolutionary theory.
