Aventuras e descobertas de Darwin a bordo do Beagle

by Richard Keynes

A partir de correspondências, diários e registros avulsos, além de desenhos e pinturas feitos pelo então jovem naturalista Charles Darwin e outros viajantes do HMS Beagle, Richard Keynes – bisneto de Darwin – acompanha aquela que talvez seja a mais importante aventura científica da era moderna, transportando o leitor para uma viagem que começava em 1831, duraria cinco anos e iria representar uma grande virada na história da ciência.Em um relato emocionante, Keynes narra a descoberta de fósseis pré-históricos, a descrição de animais e plantas nunca antes vistos, o encontro com povos ainda mal conhecidos e a formação, na mente genial daquele jovem cientista, da teoria da evolução das espécies e sua adaptação aos ambientes naturais. Uma oportunidade de compartilhar do momento decisivo da formação do pensamento científico e social no Ocidente.“Este é um excelente esboço dos acontecimentos que levaram, vinte anos depois, ao livro A origem das espécies.”Publishers Weekly“Leitura absolutamente esplêndida, a um só tempo envolvente e informativa... A teoria da evolução está entre as mais importantes da história do pensamento ocidental, e Keynes desvela aqui a fermentação dessa ideia tão perigosa para a época.”Michael Shermer, Scientific American

Genres: History, Science, Evolution, Nonfiction, Biology, Biography, Natural History

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Rev. Richard Keynes, 1777 or 1778-1853

Richard Keynes was born at Salisbury, attended Hoxton College in London, was a minister at Tisbury and Poole; he "died, after a long and severe affliction, on September the 22nd, at the age of seventy-five ..." (J.A. James The dying minister’s reflections and anticipations). He was headmaster of Blandford Academy in Blandford Forum, Dorset, England during the 1820s.

See also: Richard Darwin Keynes

Reviews

[Anthony Friscia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for any Darwinophile. The author (Darwin’s great grandson) pulls together primary sources - Darwin’s journals, his letters to and from home, and letters from others on the boat - to tell the story of Darwin’s voyages on the beagle. The focus is on his scientific observations and the book highlights many of the threads he followed throughout the voyage, like geology and invertebrate zoology. Much of the book is direct quotes and passages from the primary sources, and its weakest part is the author’s own writing, which can be repetitive and trite. I read this on the Kindle, which was a mistake, because there are a number of plates, mostly art by the artist on the Beagle, which add to it, so I bought the hard copy towards the end so I could have those. Maybe not for the casual read of Darwinalia, but a nice framing of Darwin’s voyages for those that want a bit more depth than you get in most biographies.

[Phil Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent account of Darwin’s travels on the Beagle is written by his great-grandson Richard Keynes. It is a very full account, but it is difficult to review it without comparing it to two other books:

(1) Darwin’s own published book: “The Voyage of the Beagle”.
(2) Darwin’s personal diary written during the voyage, published as “Charles Darwin’s Beagle Diary” and edited by the same Richard Keynes.

For example, Keynes’ account of Darwin’s first landfall in the Cape Verde islands gives a full account of Darwin’s scientific investigations there, particularly his geologising. But it misses out some interesting stories of Darwin’s encounters with local people which appear in both of the other books.

On the other hand, the amusing ritual that Darwin had to undergo when the Beagle crossed the Equator is described in this book and also in the personal diary, but not in “The Voyage of the Beagle”. So, you win some and you lose some with each of the books.

Charles Darwin wrote much later in his life that “The voyage of the Beagle has been by far the most important event in my life, and has determined my whole career...” We can see why from this book.

We read about: Darwin as a victim of severe seasickness; Captain FitzRoy’s doomed attempt to bring “Christian civilisation” to the people of Tierra del Fuego; Darwin’s disgust at the slavery he saw in Brazil; and his scientific collecting and observation.

Darwin did not develop his theory of natural selection while on the Beagle, but things that he saw on the voyage - in South America and in the Galapagos Islands - certainly played a part in putting the idea of evolution into his head.

I recommend this book. But I would recommend Darwin’s own accounts even more.

[Abigail K · Rating 2 out of 5]

This should have been v interesting, but...
a) the author has a prodigius talent for writing very exciting events (earthquake & tsunami, shipwrecks, etc) in the same dry tone as geological strata and
b) the language and attitude is concerningly colonial in the narrative voice - understandable when quoting from the victorian text, but not in the main body - this book badly needs updating from that respect.

[Federico Kereki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but a bit dry, and having read Darwin's own book on the Beagle's trip, it was repetitive. I much preferred CREATION, by Randal Keynes, Richard Keynes's son.

[Eduardo Coutinho Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A teoria da evolução das espécies é bastante conhecida, assim como o seu autor Charles Darwin. Sabemos a base de seu pensamento e trazemos na memória a imagem de sua figura de longas barbas brancas, feição austera e circunspecta. Mas não há nada como acompanhar, por meio deste livro, o dia a dia da grande aventura de descobertas que foi a viagem do também famoso navio Beagle, com sua incansável tripulação, que passou pelo Brasil, explorou extensas áreas da Patagônia, dos Pampas argentinos, a Terra do Fogo, o litoral da América do Sul e as ilhas Galápagos, assim como outras regiões e ilhas dos vastos oceanos, antes de retornar à Inglaterra. Nele encontramos um Darwin incrivelmente jovem, que tudo observa, registra, questiona, revelando uma necessidade de conhecimento admirável, portando modernos apetrechos tecnológicos para tudo avaliar. Um livro repleto de aventuras em cada passagem, em cada descoberta. Uma leitura agradável, que traz informações científicas, históricas, geográficas e, para aqueles mais atentos, possivelmente o desenvolvimento intelectual e psicológico do jovem Darwin, uma abordagem distante daquela que normalmente estamos acostumados.

[Bill Leach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A narrative of Darwin's voyages to South America that is rich in detail from Darwin's travels. Includes many illustrations by Conrad Martens who eventually set up his own painting studio. Much on his specific observations of plants, animals and the geology.