Výpravy na druhý konec světa: Další dobrodružství mladého přírodovědce

by David Attenborough

Uznávaný přírodovědec a tvář populárních dokumentů BBC vypráví o svých prvních cestách do neznáma za neprostupnou panenskou divočinou Po úspěšných výpravách do Afriky a Jižní Ameriky zamířili David Attenborough se svým dvorním kameramanem Charlesem Lagusem na konci 50. let minulého století doslova na druhý konec světa. Na Madagaskaru, Nové Guineji, tichomořských ostrovech i v australském Severním teritoriu natáčeli divoká zvířata i původní obyvatele, jejichž zvyky byly (a dodnes jsou) pro naprostou většinu lidí na Západě zcela neznámé.

Na ostrově Pentecost sledovali domorodé rituály, jež daly vzniknout bungee jumpingu, na Tonze se jako první Evropané stali svědky královského obřadu pití kavy a v australském Severním teritoriu objevovali prastaré skalní malby. Při svých výpravách Attenborough s Lagusem obdivovali mnoho nádherných tvorů od rajek přes chameleony po sifaky v jejich přirozeném prostředí.

Ve Výpravách na druhý konec světa vypráví David Attenborough svým nezaměnitelně okouzlujícím, vtipným a vřelým způsobem o mimořádných dobrodružstvích, jež zažil s těmi nejpozoruhodnějšími lidmi a zvířaty na světě.

Sir David Attenborough má za sebou bezmála sedmdesátiletou kariéru televizního publicisty a popularizátora přírody. K jeho přelomovým snímkům natočeným pod záštitou BBC patří Život na Zemi (1979), Zázraky života (1990), Modrá planeta (2001), či Zázračná planeta (2006). Patří k předním světovým osobnostem, které upozorňují na úpadek druhové pestrosti na Zemi a usilují o ochranu druhů. Celosvětově se prodalo přes milion výtisků jeho knih.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Travel, Biography, Memoir, Adventure

504 pages, Hardcover

First published August 28, 2018

About the author

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is a naturalist and broadcaster, who is most well-known for writing and presenting the nine "Life" series, produced in conjunction with BBC's Natural History Unit. The series includes Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), Life in the Freezer (about Antarctica; 1993), The Private Life of Plants (1995), The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).

He is the younger brother of director and actor Richard Attenborough.

Photo credit: Wildscreen's photograph of David Attenborough at ARKive's launch in Bristol, England © May 2003

Reviews

[Maria João (A Biblioteca da João) · Rating 5 out of 5]

9 de 10*

Opinião:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book chronicles the journeys of David Attenborough the naturalist and TV presenter to three remote regions of the world - Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and Nothern Territory of Australia. The book focusses on flora, fauna and insects and culture, customs and anthropology of the people living in these parts of the worlds. The book is equal part memoir and travelogue while being both insightful and entertaining (especially the part on quirky humans and customs).

The first third of the book focuses on the flora and fauna of New Guinea and especially on the quest of finding the varied species of birds of paradise. The arduous journey through the thick jungle is documented well as are the encounters with the different tribes and their customs. One of the most memorable sorties is the passage on the land diving ritual, which is a coming-of-age ceremony practiced by young men on Pentecost Island and the proliferation of cargo cults on islands of Fiji. The second part of the book focusses on Attenborough's journeys through the remarkable island of Madagascar. He notes that many of the species on the island are endemic and nowhere else to be found on earth. His forays in the forests to capture lemurs (especially the Indris) and Chameleons was most entertaining. You can also hear his narration in your ears. His insights into the lives of the people and folktales of the land help bind the narrative together. The last third of the book focusses on his travels in the bush of the Northern Territory of Australia. He is able to convey the remoteness of the place and it's inaccessibility and isolation from the rest of the world inspite of being part of the continent of Australia. This section focusses on the lives of the Aboriginals and their dreamtime religious and ritualistic folklore as well as their customs,, traditions and way of life before integration into the mainstream society.

All through the book Attenborough's deep knowledge of the sciences, his empathy towards his fellow beings and his curiosity to observe nature shines through his charming and witty narrative. A beautiful memoir combining natural history, travelogue and anthropology..

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the reprinted books that David Attenborough first wrote many years ago last year, and I absolutely adored them despite the dated feel. I didn't realize that it would be a set, but I suppose it must have been successful enough last year to warrant the next three books being collected into this set. I snatched it up as soon as I saw it!

I loved all the stories, but I was especially interested in the Australian one, learning more about Aboriginal culture in one short book than I had by actually living in Australia. It wasn't as focused on animals as the previous two books, but that was okay with me. I learned alot about Madagascar too; a place I'd heard of but not really thought too much about. I do love books that make you think of things you hadn't before.

A great set, and now I hope i can look forward to another set next year if I don't come across the originals in the mean time. Five stars!

[Patty Zuiderwijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Verhaal: 5/5
Karakters: 5/5
Schrijfstijl: 5/5
Papier/audio? Ik heb het papieren boek gekocht.
Herlezen: Ja! En als er nog 10 van deze boeken uit komen wil ik die ook.

[Hildegunn Hodne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read, and throughout the book you can hear Sir David Attenborough in your ear, talking the book as if it was a documentary. Although this is an historical account of travels undertaken when the world was a different place, I did find it disturbing that a large part of his quest was to gather live specimens to bring back to London Zoo. With this as the main focus in Madagascar and New Guinea, it did become a bit monotonous at times, and I kept wishing the focus would change and widen a bit. Fortunately it did so in the last book of the book (as this is three volumes in one), with a completely different approach in the last part of the book, from his travels to the Northern Territory of Australia. All in all, recommended, both as a historical document, and for all lovers of Attenborough's work and voice.

[Stephanie Froebel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A splendid exploration into the untouched natural world. David Attenborough does a wonderful job detailing his experiences in New Guinea, Madagascar, and northern Australia. I especially loved the frequency of well-captioned pictures.

This book is a collection of 3 individual stories, so an overarching narrative did not strongly exist. But if you are seeking beautiful descriptions of these remote places 60 years ago. I wonder how these places look now. Hopefully, I will explore some of what Attenborough details in the coming weeks!!

My only criticism is I wish he articulated Madagascar pronunciations vs. spelling more often in that section and commented on why he was capturing animals for the zoo and whether or not he still thinks that work was ethical. I'm not sure, so I would love to hear his opinion on it, having done it himself.

[Ferran Giménez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Descubrir las grandes aventuras que vivió David Attenborough, uno de los naturalistas más importantes de la actualidad, en sus inicios, es apasionante. Y más aún cuándo no pierde su gran carisma, te atrapa desde la primera línea.

Para mi gusto, el primer libro (Aventuras de un Joven Naturalista) me enganchó más al centrarse en la fauna. Este segundo pone el foco en las tradiciones de los indígenas de cada región. Pero nunca está de más visitar otros mundos. Muy recomendable.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A follow up to Adventures of a Young Naturalist: The Zoo Quest Expeditions– this one based on three Zoo Quest series to New Guinea/Tongo/New Hebrides, Madagascar and Northern/Central Australia.

My daughter and I did not enjoy the book quite as much as the first, as the quests take more of an anthropological nature. The Madagascar episodes are interesting because the TV series is available to view in full and the Australian one interesting because as Attenborough says in the introduction (written in 2018) “The tiny town of Darwin has become a City and the [wild] land around Nourlangie the National Park of Kakadu” – all of which was true on my own visit there 18 years earlier, but did not take away from the experience of flying in a seaplane from one to the other.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. Attenborough wrote about people and culture rather than about capturing the animals. Although in the first volume there was mention of animals.
The main premise was that westerners couldn't survive in the natural world. There was an idea that the natives knew best. Encroaching westerns made a mess and were lonely, deprived and lost. There is a better way to put this of course, Attenborough wrote of a world where the survivors did not survive westernisation and the westerners didn't either. In the last volume the Australians had a hard time in the outback.
My favourite bits were: the bit when they had so much expertise at fixing their old trusty land rover. Also all of the animal parts. Attenborough wrote about lizards and crocodiles. The lemurs were cute.
There was also Australian pidgin. The pidgin, Attenborough could follow, all through the book. I couldn't follow it very well. Im and e seemed to mean he or pronoun as a point of reference.

[Rita Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of David Attenborough's forays into the most remote areas of Papua New Guinea, Madagasca, Tonga and Australia. His fearless spirit and easy way with people enabled him to obtain the most amazing information and photos.

[Thomas Lewcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s impossible for David Attenborough not to keep you captivated. 3 marvellous journeys in 3 remote yet unique destinations.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Adventures of a Young Naturalist a few years ago, and even though both books are really just re-publications of some of Attenborough's older works, they hold up surprisingly well. Yes, some of the content and approach is dated, but even compared to anthropological works at the time, Attenborough's views and approach were progressive. This book focused far more on people than the last one, and Attenborough approached everything with a great deal of respect and admiration, especially considering the time period in which he was writing.

I loved that Queen Salote of Tonga helped Attenborough to get access to a ritual - her desire to preserve aspects of Tongan culture was fascinating, and I'm glad that Attenborough was able to capture rituals in a way that was respectful and wanted. Overall, this was a neat read, though definitely more human-focused than the previous book.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who’d’a thought a book about visiting “wild” places in the 1950s and capturing animals for London Zoo and recording the actions, rituals and beliefs of “natives” would be so compelling. Yes, some of Attenborough’s are views are of their time, but he is very moderate for the 50s. With the benefit of knowledge it is clear that some of his interpretations of First Nations of Australia are a little off, and it is clear the Aussies he encountered in NT are pulling his leg. This was a very interesting read.

[Christopher Xanthis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok This book was a gift from my nana- so thoughtful and kind of her to get this for me! I love it -there are so many interesting stories in here! This is a must read other than all the smut I read- most frequently With caffeine also I would recommend this book to anyone- ! So interesting and has such good photos and that it divides the book into three sections one for each journey
From your fav bookworm, swiftie and theatre nerd
Chris

[Alixe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha sido como leer el script original de una serie de documentales de la BBC. Pero prepárense para hacer búsquedas en internet para cada especie animal o vegetal que se menciona, porque las fotos en blanco y negro se quedan cortas... Qué fantasía hubiese sido formar parte de estos equipos, y participar en estas expediciones.

[Ana Ceballos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesantísimo libro de uno de los más famosos naturalistas del mundo. El libro está escrito en los años 60, lo que le da un plus de interés, ya que no solo describe países y paisajes remotos, sino además ves la perspectiva de esa época, en la que realmente eran territorios apenas explorados. Y todo desde la perspectiva de un aventurero sensible y respetuoso. Me ha encantado.

[Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Attenborough is a hero, especially the work he does to raise awareness on environmental issues, and that he’s still doing amazing work into his 90s. The stories he tells in his books are just as exciting to read as the shows he narrates for BBC Earth. And I highly recommend every book

[Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope Mr. Attenborough continues to publish his adventures as they're my favorite type of story to read.

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

David Attenborough zal bij heel wat mensen een belletje doen rinkelen. Van 1954 tot 1963 maakte hij een meerdelige natuurdocumentaires voor BBC, namelijk het gekende Zoo Quest. Bovendien heeft BBC dit jaar op sociale media het leven van David wat extra in de kijker gezet door het filmpje 93 years in 93 seconds te verspreiden, waarbij je het leven en vooral het werk van David in 93 seconden aan je voorbij ziet gaan. Hij kwam in heel wat avonturen terecht tijdens zijn vele ontdekkingsreizen voor Zoo Quest, hierover maakte hij ook schriftelijke verslagen. De eerste drie van deze verslagen zijn gepubliceerd in zijn boek De avonturen van een jonge bioloog waar hij zijn lezers meeneemt naar Guyana, Indonesië en Paraguay. Reizen naar de andere kant van de wereld bevat de volgende drie verhalen en brengt ons naar Papoea-Nieuw-Guinea, Madagaskar en Australië.

In een beknopte inleiding geeft David extra achtergrondinformatie over de toenmalige situatie bij het maken van de serie. Het is niet zoals nu, waarbij camera’s compact en eenvoudig zijn, nee ze waren zwaar, lomp en onhandig. Ook de televisietechnieken zijn volledig veranderd, de beelden kunnen nu onmiddellijk bekeken worden, wat destijds niet het geval was. Dit zorgde voor soms zeer moeilijke situaties tijdens zijn ontdekkingsreizen.

Hij heeft de verhalen in deze nieuwe, herziene druk grotendeels gelaten zoals hij ze toen ter tijd opschreef, met uitzonderingen van enkele details uit de omschreven ceremonieën van de Aboriginals. Dit om de hedendaagse gevoeligheid rond dit thema niet te kwetsen. Hoewel de inleiding beknopt is, prikkelt hij al zijn lezers om verder te lezen en om zo snel mogelijk aan ‘Boek een’ te beginnen die over zijn ontdekkingstocht naar de paradijsvogel van Papoea-Nieuw-Guinea gaat.

Hierna neemt hij de lezers mee naar Madagaskar en Australië. Samen met zijn vaste cameraman Charles beleeft hij er de gekste avonturen. Hoewel Zoo Quest vooral het filmen van dieren als doel had, omschrijft David in zijn verhalen niet alleen deze bijzondere diersoorten en zijn zoektocht om hen te vinden. Hij gaat nog een stapje verder door ook de verschillende stammen die hij tijdens deze zoektocht tegenkomt, hun traditie en manier van leven neer te pennen. Dit klinkt allemaal als droge, saaie literatuur, doch brengt David alles op een zeer levendige manier.

Bij het lezen waande ik mij echt in de jungle op zoek naar de mooie paradijsvogel. Wat ook leuk om weten is, is dat de meeste filmpjes van Zoo Quest beschikbaar zijn op You Tube en tijdens het lezen kan je altijd even snel een filmpje opzoeken over de passage die je net aan het lezen bent, om het je nog beter voor te kunnen stellen. Er is voldoende evenwicht tussen de passages waarbij David het over de natuur heeft en die waarbij hij het heeft over het lokale leven. Zowel een natuurliefhebber als een cultuurliefhebber zal zijn gading vinden in het boek en doordat David beide onderwerpen evenwichtig aan bod laat komen, wordt het geheel niet saai. Zo ben ik vooral geïnteresseerd naar zijn ervaringen met de lokale bevolking, maar kon ik ook genieten van zijn omschrijvingen van de natuur en de dieren. Bovendien is het boek doorspekt met typisch Britse humor en charme die het een extra dimensie geven en zorgen voor een aangename leeservaring.

Deze nieuwe editie is netjes verzorgd, de verhalen worden geïllustreerd aan de hand van tal zwart-wit foto’s en ook enkele kleurfoto’s. Wat het geheel nog visueler maakt voor de lezer. Het is duidelijk dat David niet alleen een goede tv programma maker is maar dat hij ook nog eens de kunst van het verhalen vertellen bezit. Het saaiste onderwerp wordt via zijn pen een boeiend verhaal. Alleen jammer dat je als Belgische lezer snel merkt dat dit boek vertaald werd door een vertaler uit Nederland, doordat sommige termen bij ons bijna of niet meer in gebruik zijn.

Reizen naar de andere kant van de wereld is meer dan ik had verwacht. Het boeide mij van de eerste pagina, en het las als een pageturner, eenmaal begonnen onmogelijk nog neer te leggen. Van mij krijgt het dan ook een verdiende 4.5 sterren.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost screamed when I found out that David Attenborough had released yet another book. After all, the man is honestly my idol and I find it impossible to pass up anything that involves his work. Not only do I love finding out more about a man who has a lot to do with my choice in career path, but I also love the style in which he writes. He is funny and entertaining. And the beautiful way in which he writes transports you to another world and another time.

Where Adventures of a Young Naturalist takes you on the first few zoo quest expeditions and the animals that they encountered, Journeys to the Other Side of the World has more of a focus on the people that were encountered. And I loved this change of pace. Although it is the animal and conservation aspect of Attenborough’s work that I have always been obsessed with, the anthropologist in me is enthralled by the cultures that are encountered. Especially considering that this would have been at least fifty years ago, so the changes that would have occurred have made many of these places and peoples change entirely.

I’m so incredibly disappointed that this book is over. I loved going through the Pacific Islands, Madagascar and Australia. Especially considering it was such a different time, and even if I followed in David’s footsteps, I wouldn’t be able to see half of the things that he had. It’s a different world, a different time, and a different place. And one that I found incredibly fun and intriguing.

[ticilici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Primero, una vez más, he juzgado a este libro por su portada y su edición, y probablemente parte de las ganas de leerlo que sentía todos estos días eran sus hojas gruesas, la forma de separar las distintas partes de los capítulos, el olor...

Dejando la forma atrás, son tres libros contando cada uno un viaje diferente a tres zonas muy diferentes del planeta. Sientes perfectamente la sensación de ser un explorador en una época sin internet, emocionado por lo que va a encontrar en su viaje. De hecho, me siento con más ganas de viajar que cuando lo empecé.

Por la época y el tipo de viajes que hacen (no solo van a ver animales, también parte del contenido de sus grabaciones es sobre las civilizaciones de los lugares que visitan), me esperaba encontrar muchos momentos de hombre blanco colonialista y no fue para tanto.

[Keiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had initially bought this book for my partner for Christmas as she is a massive David Attenborough fan, I was not so much.

However, I do have a love for reading, and my shelf was getting empty, so I waited for her to finish, I initially had picked it up here and there to fill sometime, then I found myself not being able to put it down.

I found this book quite fascinating and valuable, reading about places around the world, the different cultures and creatures really makes you think about what else is out there,

I would read this book again and would recommend this to others to read, and I found I could not help but read with his accent.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm long overdue in completing this wonderful book, but I'm glad I took the time to truly appreciate it in detail. This is by no means a page-turner in the traditional sense; often I'd read a chapter and have to stop in order to mull over its contents and the fascinating stories within. Attenborough is as passionate about nature as he is for the people who live in it and it's his anthropological documentation of ritual, myth, and legend that add such an incredible depth to this book

[nusaybah · Rating 5 out of 5]

all the stars 😭

[Pi · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Attenborough to postać legendarna, ikona podróżników i przyrodników. Poznałam go dzięki mojemu tacie, który za młodu uwielbiał oglądać filmy z jego udziałem. Książka, z którą dzisiaj do Was przychodzę, jest - jak to zauważyła Pani Krystyna Czubówna - LEKTURĄ OBOWIĄZKOWĄ! Zwłaszcza w dzisiejszych czasach.
Ten wyjątkowy człowiek zabiera nas w długą i obfitującą w niespodzianki podróż. Będziemy przyglądać się zalotom zwierząt i ludzi (choć w sumie to trochę to samo). Myślę, że własnie to jest najwspanialsze w tym tomie - to skupienie się SIR Davida nie tylko na świecie przyrody, ale i na świecie tubylców, ludzi żyjących od dawien dawna w Papui Nowej Gwinei, Australii - poznanie z bliska Aborygenów musiało być wielkim przeżyciem. Tyle ile krzywd biali zrobili tym prawowitym mieszkańcom Australii... cóż... WSTYD! Lecz ten WSTYD zdaje się regułą bez wniosków.
Zachwycił mnie sposób, w jaki podróżnik opisuje wszystko, co widzi. Jest w tym czułość i spostrzegawczość, a także szczerość, której czytelnik zawsze powinien oczekiwać. Ja naprawdę byłam wszędzie tam, razem z nim i jego operatorem. Ja naprawdę widziałam te rajskie ptaki, te tańce, obyczaje, tę dzikość, ten świat - świat, którego już nie ma. Zakochałam się w KAMELEONACH - tak wiem jak to dziwnie brzmi, ale dajcie im szansę, to i może wy poczujecie do nich miętę.
Najwyżej jednak cienię szacunek, który odnajduję na kartach tej książki. Szacunek do wszystkiego i wszystkich, tę pokorę w poznawaniu obcych miejsc, ten zachwyt, pierwotny i dlatego prawdziwy i oczywiście ciekawość - wielką ciekawość, która prowadzi do wiedzy, do poznania i w końcu do zrozumienia, a zrozumienie jest podstawą współistnienia.
Jakoś tak to się w moim życiu podziało, że czytałam wiele reportaży o Papui Nowej Gwinei i Australii. jak się nad tym zastanawiam, to nie wiem dlaczego. Wybierałam te książki spontanicznie, niemalże same wpadały mi w ręce i kazały się czytać. Cieszę się, bo podczas poznawania tej konkretnej pozycji dysponowałam już informacjami, które pozwoliły mi na porównanie i... ta książka była najlepszą, jaką miałam w łapkach. To taki strzał w dziesiątkę, tutaj nie możesz się pomylić, tutaj nie będzie zawodu - możesz brać z zamkniętymi oczami - choć lepiej je otworzyć i przyjrzeć się jej lepiej, bo nie tylko wnętrze zachwyca.
Wydanie jest cudowne! Czy wy widzicie tę okładkę?! Chciałabym siedzieć obok Davida - to by było coś - chociaż teraz byłabym już posunięta w latach więc może jednak zostanę przy własnym życiu... ale pomarzyć zawsze można. Mieć taki wehikuł czasu! To jest myśl!
Najsmutniejsze w tym jest to, że nie ma już tego świata, że on przeminął. Nie ma tej dzikości i naturalności, a wszystko sprowadziło się do suwenirów, turystycznych atrakcji.... a niestety turyści potrafią zasr** najpiękniejsze miejsca i zrobić z nich targowisko próżności.
OGROMNIE WAM POLECAM TĘ KSIĄŻKĘ! NIESAMOWICIE WARTOŚCIOWA, IKONICZNA, PIĘKNA.

dajcie się namówić na tę podróż sir Davidowi - kto by mu odmówił
9/10
tom II
Wydawnictwo Prószyński i S-ka

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a compendium of three books:

Quest in Paradise:

This is another one of the books that I picked up because I got one of my friends to pick out random numbers from my big list of books that I want to read and she landed on this one. It was a pretty good read, basically a little non-fiction memoir of Attenborough’s time travelling in search of a specific bird that he was trying to find.

Of course, it was written back in 1960 or so and that makes the language feel a little dated. My copy was also a super old edition that had a lot of yellowing and tiny print, so it didn’t really feel aesthetically pleasing. Fortunately the manuscript itself more than made up for it.

So if you’re looking for a little travel writing that will help you to escape from all of the madness that’s going on in the world, I’d say this is a pretty good call. I’m certainly glad that I read it, and I look forward to more Attenborough. Luckily, he has loads!

Zoo Quest to Madagascar:

In this book, a young David Attenborough heads off to Madagascar to spot some wildlife and to capture a few animals to take back to London Zoo. I liked his observations on the animals and the culture, but I’m not on board with taking animals out of the wild so that people can stare at them from behind glass screens.

Still, it was mostly pretty good and an interesting retrospective considering Attenborough did all this when he was a young man.

Quest Under Capricorn:

This book tells the story of Attenborough’s adventures in the Australian outback, and it’s interesting because there’s not a particularly huge focus on animals, although they do feature in it here and there.

Mostly, though, it’s all about the characters that he met along the way. Considering that he took this trip as a young man and Australians are notoriously epic and full of character, there’s a lot to like here. I mean, even though the wildlife takes a bit of a backseat, I didn’t feel as though it suffered because of it. Awesome!

All in all, I enjoyed this one a lot, and it was a nice surprise when I learned I’d tick off three books.

[Kate_K91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sir Davida Attenborough nie trzeba nikomu przedstawiać. To zdecydowanie jeden z najwybitniejszych przyrodników naszych czasów. Jego programy telewizyjne od lat śledziły kolejne pokolenia, marząc o dalekich podróżach i odkryciach.

„Podróże na drugi kraniec świata. Dalsze przygody młodego przyrodnika” to kolejna książka napisana przez młodego wtedy autora, w której opisuje swoje podróże pod koniec lat 50-tych XX wieku. Tym razem przyrodnik trafił do Papui Nowej Gwinei, by tam na taśmie filmowej uwiecznić piękny taniec godowy kolorowych rajskich ptaków. W książce opisane zostały także inne liczne podróże oraz zwyczaje rdzennych ludów, jak święto sing-sing, rytuał przypominający skok na bungee czy picie kavy.

Sir David na swej drodze napotkał bogactwo świata fauny i flory i podzielił się swymi doświadczeniami w swym pamiętniku pełnym urokliwych i humorystycznych przygód. Przez książkę niezmiennie przebija ogromna miłość do świata, wielki szacunek dla napotkanych kultur, a przede wszystkim do matki natury, którą autor po dziś dzień stara się chronić przed zgubnym działaniem człowieka. Elokwencja i dar snucia opowieści sprawiają, że pozycję tę czyta się z zapartym tchem.

„Podróże na drugi koniec świata...” to zdecydowanie książka dla fanów autora, ale też miłośników dalekich wypraw i odkrywania niezwykłych cudów natury.

[Alexander Telfar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was about David's travels through Oceania (papa new Guinea, Fiji, Australia, ) and Madagascar. No, not travels, adventures!

Not only were they documenting the wildlife, but also the people and their cultures.

I especially enjoyed the way David thought about the indigenous religions and rituals. The had reasons for existing, a propose. They are derived from simple needs, like wanting more food, but not these stories have lives of their own. Some examples:

- the ritual for fish.
- the turtle and the shark.
- boas as the dead.
- aboriginal drawings.
- hedgehog jaws for necklaces.

The strange and wacky beliefs reminded me that humans are particularly irrational beings. I think I would like to read more about cultures and their religions.

I was impressed by David's knowledge. It seemed like there were no animal he could not identify (I am sure that's a great exaggeration, but still).

[Jessica Naylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not an intense page turner, if that is what you are searching for. This book is a trip away, an adventure with David Attenborough.

I loved the adventure of finding the birds of paradise and enjoyed reading about the lemurs. Some of the long distance travelling David did made me squirm uncomfortably in my seat, as I could not imagine such conditions in such heat! The people were just as interesting as the animals too, meeting some characters along the way. I found it interesting to understand how the animals actually came to be at the zoo! Something I had clearly taken for granted until reading this book.

I would read more from David Attenborough as this was my first. I would caution those who require pace as this is a steady read from beginning to end. I am glad I committed to finishing this because I feel it was worth it. Since starting this book I have yearned for adventure and have now booked three holidays! I suspect this book has something to do with it.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really thick book -- actually, a combination of three previous books put together into one -- about Attenborough's journeys to the South Pacific, Madagascar, and Northern Australia to record animals and local cultural practices and (sometimes) bring back animal specimens for the London Zoo. Though this book was from the 1960s, it was pretty clear how much the author cares for both the people he meets and the animals he encounters, and since many of these cultures were unknown to Brits, his words and images help deepen empathy and understanding. There were some chapters that dragged on a little bit, but, again, I think that would have been helped by reading it as originally written. If you are curious about different sorts of wildlife and where Attenborough got his start, you'll enjoy this book.