To the Edge of the World: Book I

by Harry Thompson

Volume I in the trilogy. To the Edge of the World is a seafaring adventure in the tradition of Patrick O Brian, chartering the lives of Captain Robert FitzRoy and Charles Darwin, their friendship, and the historical voyage that ultimately drove them apart. In 1831, FitzRoy, a Christian Tory, and the liberal naturalist Darwin board the HMS Beagle and set sail for Tierra del Fuego. As they travel around the world, exploring the coasts of Patagonia and surveying the Galápagos Islands, the two men forge a lifelong bond while debating morality, nationality, biology, fate, and religion. But Darwin s theories on evolution, which go against everything FitzRoy believes in, threaten their friendship.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

263 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2007

About the author

Harry William Thompson was an English radio and television producer, comedy writer, novelist and biographer. Early in his career Thompson produced the radio comedy programmes The News Quiz and The Mary Whitehouse Experience. Following his move into television, he produced Newman and Baddiel in Pieces, Harry Enfield and Chums and Monkey Dust, and co-produced Never Mind The Buzzcocks. In 1998 he was part of BBC Radio 4's 5-part political satire programme Cartoons, Lampoons, and Buffoons. During these productions he was able to gain exposure for a very large proportion of those who went on to become prominent figures in contemporary British comedy, including: Sacha Baron Cohen, Angus Deayton, Harry Enfield, Ricky Gervais, Nick Hancock, Ian Hislop, Mark Lamarr, Paul Merton and Paul Whitehouse. He was instrumental in the creation of the comic character Ali G for The 11 O'Clock Show, and as a comedy writer his credits included Da Ali G Show.

Thompson wrote biographies of Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams and Tintin creator Hergé. In June 2005, Thompson's only novel, entitled This Thing Of Darkness (a historical novel chronicling the life of Robert Fitzroy - later published in the United States as To The Edge Of The World), was published and long-listed for the Booker prize. He also wrote Penguins Stopped Play, an account of the attempt by his beloved cricket team, The Captain Scott Invitation XI, to tour all seven continents of the world.

Reviews

[Gary Sedivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction: This is about the captain of the ship that eventually took Charles Darwin to the Galapagos Islands. This is first voyage of the Beagle, commanded by FitzRoy, which was an exploration of the southern tip of South America. The book ends with the start of the iconic voyage. This book is not exactly like the O'Brian novels, but close. Some of the nautical terms are a bit obscure, if you are a naval/mariner-type book novice, and some of the other terminology used is period correct, therefore it may be unknown to you, e.g., 'stratigraphy' is now called 'geology'. References to some early scientists/philosophers, like LaMarck, might get you searching in an encyclopedia, but are not off-putting.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The detail of the sea voyages is spectacular. Additionally, the descriptions of 1830s London as it is modernizing and changing from an old to a new city corresponds so clearly with the changes in thinking in the society, the move toward enlightened thinking. Characters are developed in great detail. The descriptions of slavery, and the overt racism of the English toward other peoples is both expected but so freshly portrayed as to make it newly sickening. Fitzroy is a much more complicated and brilliant modern man that I ever realized, who is caught in a world clinging to the old religious explanations of the natural world yet assaulted by the gathering new evidence for a non-static, evolving nature. Wow....really good book.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in the U.K. as one volume, with the title This Thing of Darkness. I'll review in more detail after I finish the two other volumes. So far I can't agree that it's on par with O'Brian, though perhaps that's not a fair comparison at this point - I didn't fall in love with O'Brian's world after the first book, either.

[Eric_W]

Also published in the U.K. under the title This Thing Of Darkness, Note the three volumes are available for the Kindle as one book. (Thank you somebody.)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!!! I am continuing on with books 2 & 3. Follows the voyages of the Beagle under Captain FitzRoy, his first command of the ship in Tierra del Fuego, and then Charles Darwin's joining the crew for the captain's second trip back to South America.

[Pperkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by Darwin, sailing and exploration. I've read the Aubry/Martin series more times than I can count, and though Thompson is no O'Brian stylistically, I did find this fascinating. The detailed views of life aboard the Beagle were very well done. It was a VERY depressing to read the horrors of what was done to the Tierra-del-Fuego natives and others in the name of 'civilization,' to learn Fitzroy's biography... oh so sad. I will never take weather forecasting for granted again. Humanity's bumbling and awful quest for knowledge is worth it, I'm sure... I think.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! May read it again, or try to find the other 2 in the series. Based on historical facts but made into an entertaining story. The main character goes through so many ups and downs in his career, also you learn a lot about the history of uncivilized native lands, people, geography in the 1800's. pro-God/anti-God debates throughout

[T]

Okay, but felt a little like homework, mostly because it was over 700 pages. I got to where Darwin joins the Beagle, about page 200.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about both Darwin and Fitzroy, neither of whom (I now realize) I knew very much about.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story with lively descriptions.