Fossils, Finches, and Fuegians: Darwin's Adventures and Discoveries on the Beagle

Rating:
Summary: Map making and evolution
Review: An enjoyable recount of Darwin's voyage around the world in the early 1830s. Rather than argue for or against any version of Darwins theories, Keynes describes the adventure of 2 English gentlemen setting out to create a better map of the world. Aside from providing an enjoyable and picturesque travel guide, we get to know the way each inspired the other.

The reader will be surprised to read about the daring young Darwin's adventures. He ends up dodging warriors prowling the Argentinian praries, trusting his life to murderous Fuegian cowboys, getting drunk with Chilean gold miners, intervening in a Brazilian civil war and tasting potentially halucenogenic South American plants.

Keynes seems particularly interested in showing Darwin as Captain FitzRoy's agent and artist. In some ways, Keynes makes a case that Darwin was hired to write the story FitzRoy dictated. Like the artists brought along by Captain FitzRoy, Darwin was invited to embellishFitzRoy's maps. FitzRoy, a flawed character of exceptional energy and intuition, knew well his limitations: depression and a violent temper. To achieve what he knows is possible he drags young English gentlemen off to the ends of the world and sets them on their path to celebrity and fame.

Left to itself, this action story and tragedy (FitzRoy commits suicide in the last narrative chapter) could have stood alone. The author feels compelled to trouble us with a search for the exact moment that Darwin's diary records the inspiration for 'evolutionary theory'. It detracts a bit, but only in a minor way. Unexplored is the relationship between map making and evolutionary trees, an obvious paradigm which would have fit the story better.

Rating:
Summary: Map making and evolution
Review: An enjoyable recount of Darwin's voyage around the world in the early 1830s. Rather than argue for or against any version of Darwins theories, Keynes describes the adventure of 2 English gentlemen setting out to create a better map of the world. Aside from providing an enjoyable and picturesque travel guide, we get to know the way each inspired the other.

The reader will be surprised to read about the daring young Darwin's adventures. He ends up dodging warriors prowling the Argentinian praries, trusting his life to murderous Fuegian cowboys, getting drunk with Chilean gold miners, intervening in a Brazilian civil war and tasting potentially halucenogenic South American plants.

Keynes seems particularly interested in showing Darwin as Captain FitzRoy's agent and artist. In some ways, Keynes makes a case that Darwin was hired to write the story FitzRoy dictated. Like the artists brought along by Captain FitzRoy, Darwin was invited to embellishFitzRoy's maps. FitzRoy, a flawed character of exceptional energy and intuition, knew well his limitations: depression and a violent temper. To achieve what he knows is possible he drags young English gentlemen off to the ends of the world and sets them on their path to celebrity and fame.

Left to itself, this action story and tragedy (FitzRoy commits suicide in the last narrative chapter) could have stood alone. The author feels compelled to trouble us with a search for the exact moment that Darwin's diary records the inspiration for 'evolutionary theory'. It detracts a bit, but only in a minor way. Unexplored is the relationship between map making and evolutionary trees, an obvious paradigm which would have fit the story better.

Rating:
Summary: A book re-visiting Darwin's steps.
Review: Mr. Keynes (great-grandson of Charles Darwin) re-plays the voyage of the Beagle, with some interesting back-up material. We read of Darwin's early life and his family connections, and the Beagle's Capt. FitzRoy's interest in returning to Tierra del Fuego. Included are plenty of extracts from others' letters and logs, plus many original drawings & paintings. And there is a nice touch; at the top of each page is the month and year, so you are continually reminded of just how much time has passed.

Having read and enjoyed Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle', I was not expecting much in the way of startling new evidence re his discoveries & theories. And there is not; but what IS there, is more focus on his time in Patagonia, which surprisingly covered 2 years - nearly half the 5 year trip ... which is not apparent in the 'Voyage' (in my faulty memory) ... And the Beagle only spent 5 weeks in the Galapagos, but that short stay provided most of the hard evidence which fuelled Darwin's later theorising.

Further visits to N.Z., Australia and Tasmania showed the devastation to the indiginous wildlife caused by introduced species, which prompted more thoughts on survival. Had more time been available in Mauritius or Madagascar, his theorising might have been more concentrated and conclusions derived earlier (but of course, 20/20 hindsight always provides the best view!).

Mr. Keynes provides a modern perspective on the scientific method of the young (23) Darwin, especially in his noting exactly which strata fossils were found, and his meticulously accurate un-biased descriptions of specimens (not a predominant trait in the scientific community at that time!). Particular focus is placed on his geological and fossil studies - largely glossed over by Darwin himself - revealing some deep background thinking which was formative in constructing his Theory of Evolution. The penultimste chapter reveals how Darwin spent the 20-odd years leading up to the publication of 'Origin'; how his Father and reading Malthus simulated his imagination; how his friendship with Lyell and Wallace proved crucial in the book's publication. It also underlines the idea that luck, having independant means (something denied to Wallace), and being in the right place at the right time (like Capt. Cook) probably had more to do with his success than his brilliance did.
In a touching final chapter we feel the love and friendship that grew between FitzRoy and Darwin during those 5 years on board, FitzRoy's subsequent jobs, then his final descent into depression and suicide..

Not an easy read; Mr. Keynes' writing style is not as fluid or easy on the eye as some other writers in the popular science arena, and some of the attached letters are hard going. I found myself frequently re-reading passages to ensure that I had the correct gist of the text.
However, that apart, this is an illuminating, fresh look at what was probably the most important voyage - ever - for philosophical science.