What do you think?
Rate this book
Nature's Argonaut: Daniel Solander 1733-1782
Nature's Argonaut is the first full biography of this important eighteenth-century naturalist who not only circled the globe under sail but ranged as far north as the Arctic and as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
Edward Duyker pays particular attention to Solander's role as a naturalist on the Endeavour during the ship's voyage along the east coast of Australia and to his pioneering contribution to the scientific study of the new continent. The author has also provided a comprehensive account of Solander's life and his contribution to the foundations of modern plant and animal taxonomy.
Aside from the historic Endeavour voyage, Solander's Arctic travels, his involvement in industrial espionage in England on behalf of Sweden, his thwarted love for the daughter of his mentor Linnaeus and his friendships with such men as Joseph Banks, James Cook, Samuel Johnson, Matthew Boulton and Benjamin Franklin make Solander an exciting biographical subject.
Edward Duyker pays particular attention to Solander's role as a naturalist on the Endeavour during the ship's voyage along the east coast of Australia and to his pioneering contribution to the scientific study of the new continent. The author has also provided a comprehensive account of Solander's life and his contribution to the foundations of modern plant and animal taxonomy.
Aside from the historic Endeavour voyage, Solander's Arctic travels, his involvement in industrial espionage in England on behalf of Sweden, his thwarted love for the daughter of his mentor Linnaeus and his friendships with such men as Joseph Banks, James Cook, Samuel Johnson, Matthew Boulton and Benjamin Franklin make Solander an exciting biographical subject.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1998
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 27, 2020
The only book-length biography of one of Linnaeus' Swedish students, perhaps his favourite: the one who was to marry his eldest daughter Lina Stina, perhaps the one most like Linnaeus in breadth and depth of knowledge, and the one who Linnaeus most wanted to take over his faculty position. Solander seems to have been a genuinely nice and open person, with ambitions to apply himself and help others but not publicise himself. A surfeit of books and books upon books about 'great men', especially, and some great women, we don't get many biographies like this.
Solander grew up in Piteå far in the north, studied with Linnaeus, then traveled to England where his training combined with good manners and agreeability brought him quickly into very notable company. He favoured the good life in London and never returned to Sweden, while maintained ties within the local Swedish community. Many wealthy people were beginning to assemble natural history collections and he helped organise several of them. It didn't take long before he was given a job and an apartment at the British Museum and began organising their natural history collections as well.
He met Joseph Banks (they became lifelong friends) and accompanied him on James Cook's first voyage of exploration around the world on the Endeavour, 1768-1771. Tierra del Fuego, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia ... they named Botany Bay for its riches and many other place names survive to this day.
This biography is very respectful of indigenous people and their histories, and includes their place names and their histories of these encounters, down to names of tribes and names of participants. Solander seems to have been the most involved in linguistic work with indigenous peoples as well. Cook's orders from the Navy were to show utmost respect to indigenous people; this was largely followed, and then largely forgotten by later colonisers.
Solander grew up in Piteå far in the north, studied with Linnaeus, then traveled to England where his training combined with good manners and agreeability brought him quickly into very notable company. He favoured the good life in London and never returned to Sweden, while maintained ties within the local Swedish community. Many wealthy people were beginning to assemble natural history collections and he helped organise several of them. It didn't take long before he was given a job and an apartment at the British Museum and began organising their natural history collections as well.
He met Joseph Banks (they became lifelong friends) and accompanied him on James Cook's first voyage of exploration around the world on the Endeavour, 1768-1771. Tierra del Fuego, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia ... they named Botany Bay for its riches and many other place names survive to this day.
This biography is very respectful of indigenous people and their histories, and includes their place names and their histories of these encounters, down to names of tribes and names of participants. Solander seems to have been the most involved in linguistic work with indigenous peoples as well. Cook's orders from the Navy were to show utmost respect to indigenous people; this was largely followed, and then largely forgotten by later colonisers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review