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

by Richard Keynes

Fossils, Finches and Charles Darwin's Adventures and Discoveries on the Beagle, 1832-1836

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

428 pages, Hardcover

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.

[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.