Galapagos: World's End

by William Beebe

" Galápagos is a glorious book. It is high romance, exact science, fascinating history, wild adventure."— Nation
The Galápagos Islands are famed for their remarkable wildlife, including land and marine iguanas, land tortoises, four-eyed fish, and flightless cormorants and albatross. In 1835, Charles Darwin observed variations among the islands' species that inspired him to formulate the theory of natural selection. Eighty-eight years later, in 1923, a scientific expedition sponsored by the New York Zoological Society followed in Darwin's wake. Led by renowned biologist and explorer William Beebe, the scientists visited the the islands to study and obtain specimens of indigenous plants and animals. This is Beebe's personal account of that fascinating expedition.
Combining rare literary skill with careful research, Beebe produced an exceptionally readable volume, replete with youthful enthusiasm, a romantic's awe before the mysteries of nature, and a scientist's passion for accurate description. He recounts the expedition's enormously productive results, including specimens of 60 species previously unknown to science, and an unparalleled accumulation of data that stimulated many scientific papers and new avenues of naturalistic inquiry. Beebe's account is enhanced with more than 100 splendid illustrations, selected from hundreds of paintings, drawings, and photographs by expedition members. A classic of popular science, it is scientifically rigorous as well as exciting and accessible.

Genres: Travel, Animals, Nonfiction, History, Natural History, Science

442 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Numerous expeditions of Charles William Beebe, American naturalist, explorer, and author, include a record oceanic descent in a bathysphere, which he helped to design in 1934.

William Beebe worked as a marine biologist and entomologist. For the zoological society of New York, he conducted his deep dives, and people remember his prolific scientific writing for both academic and popular audiences.

He also wrote under the names Charles William and C. William Beebe.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William...

Reviews

[Will Boncher · Rating 2 out of 5]

So dry. Learned some, but so DRY.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read parts of this book while preparing for a trip to the Galapagos in February.
Very entertaining.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading books about the Galapagos in preparation for an upcoming trip there. Since this will be a one and done trip, I want to immerse myself in all things Galapagos, and this book, which is available on Google books as well as through my library's subscription to Hoopla, is one of the first hand accounts of a Galapagos expedition, as opposed to an author writing about somebody else's trip.
As is widely known, in the 1830's Charles Darwin circumnavigated the globe and enroute he observed variations among the Galapagos Islands' species that inspired him to formulate the theory of natural selection. Eighty-eight years later, in 1923, a scientific expedition sponsored by the New York Zoological Society followed in Darwin's footsteps, led by William Beebe and while he is the author of this book, several of the expedition members author chapters or sections of chapters. The prose is about what you would expect from people who are primarily naturalists, meaning overly descriptive and at times quite tedious to read. That said, at the time of it's release it was wildly popular (which gives you an idea of what one had to settle for a century ago in terms of entertainment) and therefore worth giving a read if only for the immersion experience.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out with beautiful writing and it was fun recollecting what I had seen while the author described his (much more scientific) observations. Some other authors contributed small amounts and I found the chapter on pirates tedious. Otherwise, I really liked the book; very readable in spite of being written by a scientist.

[Todd Cheng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A documentary of written exploration to the Galapagos made in the 1920 on a steam ship. The narrative is informative. The writing is clear and concise. The sampling of specimens done in a pristine archipelago was a harsh reminder of the impacts of humans.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author visited the Galapagos 100 years ago so, gentle reader, be prepared for the killing of specimens and some outdated theories. Still, pretty fascinating stuff. I particularly enjoyed Chapter XVI, Man and the Galapagos, written by another member of the expedition, Ruth Rose.

[Kathy England · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about the Galapagos Islands, even though it is about an expedition that went there in the 1920's.

[Melissa Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a great read. This one book has made me want to read everything in its genre, natural history nonfiction. I will definitely be looking for more from William Beebe, as his blend of scientific facts, pondering, and amusement with the world stirs something in my soul. I was just in the Galapagos and reading this deepened my love of the islands and my brief time there. I’ve never paid much attention to the suggested travel reading in my guidebooks but perhaps I will from now on. Learning about this 1923 expedition to the Galapagos and the differences and similarities it had to my own vacation there was really special. The scientists in the book predict that the flightless cormorant and tortoises will be extinct within a generation. Neither are 90 years later. They worried about feral goats and dogs that were spoiling the native environment; all those populations are under control. They talk about how tame the birds are, so unused to human interaction. This reminded me of the flycatchers and mockingbirds that accompanied us on all our hikes, flitting about our feet and perching head-height in bushes to inspect us. Knowing that the islands are so unchanged, that I got to see and experience many of the same things, is exhilarating in an age where I feel like nothing is unspoiled and I was born too late to share in discovery. The book is a mix of stories of the expedition itself, give from multiple perspectives including scientists, artists and historians. There are also some chapters of the history of the archipelago, from the days of pirates to Darwin to shipwreck victims. My favorite part of an scientific writing is the obligatory “more study is needed” comment. In this case, there is debate about how the island formed and were populated with their unique flora and fauna. I assume in the 90 years since an answer has been agreed upon, but since I don’t know it I will be delving into some further research of my own. As always, I recommend any book that inspires me to find out more and leads me right into the next one.

[Lake County Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beebe's report of an expedition to the Galapagos to compile an inventory of flora and fauna to the extent possible during three weeks time. Wonderful detailed descriptions of the islands they visited, the terrain, the animals and plants, and the difficulties the explorers faced in this very strange world. --Sharon, IT

[Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! This is a true tale of scientific exploration and discovery. William Beebe brings the reader with him as he explores the Galapagos Islands on an expedition for the New York Zoological Society. His words leap off the page, as he encounters tortoises, varied bird life, and iguanas. I would recommend this book to anyone planning to travel to the Galapagos. A great read!

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it a long time ago. It was slow going.