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Darwin in Galaápagos: Footsteps to a New World

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"Darwin In Galapagos: Footsteps to a New World" is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the Galapagos Islands. It is extremely well written by a couple who are intimately familiar with the islands, and their enthusiasm is infectious. They take you on a journey that is infinitely interesting and well researched. They actually spent several years following in Darwin's footsteps which makes the book so fascinating. There are numerous maps which show in detail the routes taken by Charles Darwin on the four islands he visited. The photos of the flora and fauna are lovely, and the black and white photos compliment the text. I am leaving shortly to visit the islands and feel that this was a great help in preparing me for this unique experience. I will be taking this book along as an aid to help make my trip more inclusive and informative. Even if you are not traveling to Galapagos, I would eagerly recommend this book as the story is so well presented that you feel as if you have been there. I have read about the Galapagos for years, and this is one of the best of the lot; it satisfies the historian and the natural scientist alike. If there is any criticism, it would be that there aren't enough photos of the landscapes and animals.

For readers interested in Charles Darwin or the Galapagos Islands or for those readers who have a naturalist bent, Darwin in Galapagos is an outstanding book. Ms Grant and Mr. Estes, a married couple, are naturalists with extensive experience on Galapagos. Ms Grant, in particular, must feel like a native because she is the daughter of Peter and Rosemary Grant, scientists from Princeton, who have spent a huge amount of time on Galapagos over the past several decades studying Darwin's finches in amazing detail. I highly recommend Jonathan Weiner's book The Beak of the Finch for those of you interested in evolution and Galapagos or who want to see how Thalia Grant's parents spent their time.

As the subtitle indicates, Darwin in Galapagos is an effort to track Darwin's footsteps through Galapagos when he spent five weeks there in 1835 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle. The authors give us background on Darwin's early days in England, then spend a few chapters dealing with the voyage before it reached Galapagos, and then focus on his time in the islands. The last part of the book covers on a broad scale Darwin's time back in England after the voyage as he struggled with understanding what his findings really meant. I found all of this to be interesting.

My favorite part was the chapters about his time in Galapagos. I spent some time there three years ago and found the islands to be fascinating places. I greatly enjoyed reading about the authors' efforts to track Darwin and their descriptions of his investigations into the geology, flora, and fauna to be found in Galapagos. The book is well illustrated, gives detailed information, and is academic in nature. Lots of footnotes and references in the back.

This is a well researched book. One of the authors is the daughter of Peter and Rosemary Grant who did the classic research on Darwin's finches, a study made famous by Jonathan Weiner in "The Beak of the Finch." Geologist buffs will be happy at the detailed description of Darwin's geologic observations. The value of the book for me was the time it took for Darwin to start noticing that the life of the Galapagos was unique to each individual island. He was concentrating on the geology and was labeling his zoology specimens just Galapagos, rather than by each individual island. Who would think that the life on an island in view from the one you're standing on would be any different? He did label the mockingbirds accordingly, but realized too late (the 4th and last island visited) that he should have done more collecting and labelling each collection by individual island. It was a missed opportunity he deeply regretted. Although this is all well known, the detail here exceeds all other accounts.

There are numerous books about Charles Darwin and also about Galapagos. There have been none available until now that delve so completely into Darwin's experience in Galapagos. The gap has now been filled by "Darwin in Galapagos" It is a very readable yet scholarly approach to what Darwin actually observed in the islands. Having lived and worked in Galapagos for many years, I have heard and read much speculation about Darwin's actual time in the islands. Through Grant and Estes on site investigation and thorough research, many open questions have been answered and even a few myths dispelled in this book. The liberal use of quotations from Darwin, Fitzroy, and others adds to the personal feel of the book. Those seeking more information or evidence are presented with a very complete set of references and notes at the back of the book which are on their own quite interesting. In short, an enjoyable and informative read that gives a unique and accurate perspective on Darwin's time in Galapagos.