Customer Reviews

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe

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I was hoping for a story that was equal parts botany, voyaging, and the intrigue of concealing one's gender in the confines of a relatively small ship. Unfortunately, it is primarily about the latter.

The author imputes so many thoughts and actions to the main character, Baret, as well as captain Bougainville and her master, Commerson, that it almost feels like a novel at times. Other authors might have used the same source material and come with an entirely different character and story line.

At one point she accuses historians of essentially sticking to the facts as presented in the various journals that exist rather than reporting "what so clearly happened." In other words, although there is no evidence to support her hypothesis, we readers are supposed to accept the author's opinion as the obvious truth. If this sounds vague it's that I don't wish to interject a spoiler. All I will say is that after reading the source material which she quotes, I could just have easily accepted the source version of the events as what in the author's mind "clearly did happen."

Once the author takes the leap of faith in her theory she proceeds to base the rest of the story on it as if it were fact, going so far to use the lack of support in any of the journals as proof of a conspiracy to conceal the "truth" of the dastardly event. She even puts thoughts in Bougainville's mind as to decisions he made but shared with no one, not even his journal. The length of the chain of supporting suppositions becomes truly amazing. Essentially, it is a house of cards, pull one out and it all falls down.

The author seems quite content to make up or assume facts in other areas as well. She states that the reason the crews had no luck catching fish was that they "were too far from both the continental island of New Guinea and the volcanic islands of the South Pacific to stand any chance of catching anything." Tuna and mahi-mahi abound in the open ocean. We have caught both of these types of fish in the very waters the author speaks of. It is more likely that the crews did not know how to catch pelagic species. It requires a lure be towed on the surface within a certain range of speeds. It was so easy to catch these fish we only fished when we had room in the freezer.

In the end she does an excellent job of tying up all the loose ends in her epilogue where she details what happened to all the major characters after the conclusion of the expedition.

Had the author either stuck to the facts and labeled her opinions and hypotheses as such, or had she, in the tradition of Irving Stone, chosen the write an historical novel, free to impute thoughts, actions and characteristics to her characters, I could have enjoyed the book. But as such, it only made me angry to see her disparage historians and their code of relating and interpreting historical events, rather than creating them from wisps of smoke.

Professor Ridley here uncovers the fascinating story of Jeanne Baret, who, disguised as a man, became the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. In doing so, she not only reveals the long neglected (and, in some cases, falsified) details of Baret's life, but she also sheds light on a number of little-known aspects of Enlightenment culture. In fluid prose, Ridley weaves together details concerning eighteenth-century French nautical culture, the history of the scientific study of plants, the practices of rural herbwomen, and the European exploration of the south Pacific. To her very great credit, Ridley does not try to sugar-coat Baret's experiences or to wrestle her biography into the sort of one-size-fits-all inspirational-happy-ending model too common in books of this sort; instead, she makes impressive use of overlooked archival materials to paint a vivid picture of the events of Baret's life and the cultural milieu she inhabited. In perhaps her greatest achievement, Ridley recovers the true circumstances of Baret's "discovery" on Tahiti and shows how generations of scholars have conspired to conceal the true details of this shocking episode. Readers will come away from this book with a new understanding of the eighteenth-century roots of modern scientific culture and, more importantly, a long-overdue appreciation of Baret's accomplishments.

Jeanne Baret was an unusual woman, not just by 18th century standards, but for any time on earth. Disguising herself as a man for a 3 year trip around the world in a ship roughly the size of a big townhouse, packed to the gunwales with male sailors, servants and officers was an act of bravery or magical thinking or extreme stupidity. We don't know what was in her mind because there are no accounts of her adventure written by her. She's been erased from history. Until this book. Part historical account of French efforts to play catch-up to the explorations engaged by other countries, part redemption of Ms. Baret's work as an herb woman, part outrage at the way history is handled when women are involved, part denunciation of those involved in protecting their careers by denying Baret's gender, part botany lesson, this book is at times jaw-dropping, and other times frustrating. Ridley has a tendency to support conjecture about events with ersatz proof taken from fiction set in the 1760s. That is her prerogative as a writer, but it does not serve the history. The life of Jeanne Baret is fascinating, and we can endlessly speculate what possessed this working class woman to undertake such a perilous adventure. I wish we could know.

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe by Glynis Ridley introduces Jeanne Baret, a young woman who was an expert in herb-lore. She posed as a young man in order to assist her lover, the naturalist Philibert Commerson, on French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville's round-the-world expedition from 1766-69. This is a fascinating account of that trip and the oversight history has dealt Baret - ignoring her contributions to Commerson's work, as well as her abuse during that voyage.

Ridley's The Discovery of Jeanne Baret is a well researched portrayal of what likely occurred during the expedition based on the few written documented facts available. Because a French Royal ordinance forbade women being on French Navy ships, Baret had to disguise her sex in order to assist Commerson. In her disguise, whether it was truly fooling anyone or not, Baret worked harder than many men and most certainly harder than Commerson.

Ridley points out that Baret very likely discovered many or most of the plants on the expedition. She certainly discovered the bougainvillea plant, which was named for named for the ship's commander. The one plant named after Baret during the trip has since shed her name.

While Ridley does have to make some assumptions, I felt like they were very likely accurate ones, based on the information and this period of history. Certainly it must be acknowledged that Baret's major contributions to Commerson's work have been largely ignored until now and, additionally, that this was not a kind period of time for women.

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret is not only well researched, it is well written. I would imagine that anyone interested in botany and historical biographies would certainly enjoy this account, but I also felt it is a narrative that would be very accessible to anyone. I know I thoroughly enjoyed this historical overview of Baret's life.

As is my wont, I fully appreciate that Ridley includes eight pages of pictures, an afterword to the paperback edition, notes and references for each chapter, notes on source materials and illustrations, sources and a select bibliography, acknowledgements, an index, and a reader's guide.

Very Highly Recommended - it's early in the year but this may make the top nonfiction list by the end of the year. I enjoyed it immensely. http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

Disclosure: I was given a copy of The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by Crown Publishing Group for review purposes.

If anyone asked me a month ago what I thought about Jeanne Baret, I would not have known who they were talking about. However after reading The Discovery of Jeanne Baret by Glynis Ridley I can now say that Jeanne Baret was quite a woman. Jeanne lived in the 1700's. This time in history was not kind to women. Woman were thought of as feeble, unintelligent and impassioned. Jeanne Baret was none of these things. She grew up and lived in France until she met Philibert Commerson and became not only his lover but also his assistant on an expedition to take her across the globe. Commerson was a botanist who was enamored with Baret and her knowledge of plants. When King Louis XV ordered an expedition around the world to gather information about medicinal plants and information that would help France become the leading expert in these areas, he appointed Commerson the prestigious position of working on this voyage.
Commerson needed someone knowledgeable and hard working to assist him on this journey. None other could compare to Baret. They devised a plan so that Baret could accompany him on this trip. Baret disguised herself as a man. She took on the arduous task without complaint. She worked harder than most men ever do. Her job was back breaking in miserable conditions. She tried very hard to hide the fact that she was a woman however she didn't fool everyone and because of that she faced dire consequences.
The Discovery of Jeanne Baret is a fantastic read. I don't have a particular love for botany but I love discovering historical gems. Glynis Ridley did a fantastic job with uncovering the mystery of Jeanne Baret. She also gives historical background information and explains as to why something is a big deal or what it means for that period of time. This is important because today we don't face the same restricting conventions that people faced in the past. This book is interesting from cover to cover. It's well written and very informative. I'm so glad I had an opportunity to read this novel. If you love history, botany or love reading about people who defy conventions this is a great book to read.

This book is well-written and researched, to the extend that I almost felt I was watching a documentary with original filmed material. There are detailed descriptions of life as a poor worker in rural France, life as a rich man, what women could and could not do, Paris in the 1760s, travelling for months at a time on a ship with 300 others, encountering natives, and much more.

The information is based on log books, contemporary biographies by people who were present on board, as well as other contemporary writings from which the circumstances, behaviour and considerations of Baret and Commerson were deduced.

Because of this, some of it reads as (and is!) historical fiction. I read this book a chapter at a time (about 25 pages each) which was a nice amount of time to be immersed in French/naval life of the 18th Century.

I you have an interest in history, botany, or shipping history, you will love this book! There is of course a good amount of discussion about why Jeanne dressed as a man, the rumours aboard that she might not be a man after all, and the later discovery that the rumours were right, as well as some conjecture of what may have happen after the discovery.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot, I learned many new things about the topics mentioned above. Although the writer has obviously done a thorough investigation in many of the topics, including the consultation of original (French) materials, the book is very readable for the average interested reader.

The author is a woman historian and she brilliantly interweaves documented evidence with what she understandably believes to be true. For women readers and those that love the study of botony, this book is an excellent read. For those who are neutral on botony, but love to read historical proof that there were women who overcame the prejudices of their day, this is a good read. I particulary loved her remark on how the pesant herb women handed down their knowledge to their daughters, didn't give up this knowledge for free, and intellectual men paid these women to teach them what they wanted to know.

At first glance, "The Discovery of Jeanne Baret" seems to be just another nonfiction novel, detailing the events that occurred in a deceased female's lifetime. However, Glynis Ridley evolves this seemingly simple story and breathes life into Baret's impressive life. At the end of the introduction to this novel, Ridley makes a statement that sets the tone for the rest of the book: "one human being, irrespective of the hand dealt by fortune, can have as much curiosity about the world as another. And that, like race and class, gender should pose no barrier to satisfying that curiosity and discovering how far it may take you." Talk about a declaration for gender equality and the power of women!

But, the story of Baret is more than just a giant banner advocating women's strength and determination. The reader first meets Baret as she grows up in her humble hometown in the Loire valley of France. Her parents were in the lower class of individuals during the mid 1700s and worked as day laborers. While Baret should have been subject to the same fate as her parents and expected to die in her early twenties, she possessed a skill that allowed her to escape this fate. Knowledgeable about plants, seeds, and their medicinal uses, Baret belonged to an ancient order of herb women who were often secretly sought out for their knowledge by doctors, surgeons, and sometimes students of botany.

Also in France, Philibert Commerson grew up in completely different conditions. Pampered by the success of his father, Commerson was given the chance to succeed in education and prompted to enter law by his parents. However, Commerson, known for his stubbornness, pursued a different course in life. Through his determination and risk-taking demeanor, he was able to fill his days with his one true love: botany. Commerson eventually married an even richer woman and settled down in Toulon-sur-Arroux, only a couple of miles away from Baret's location. It was through a chance meeting that these two characters joined forces, exchanged knowledge, and set off on a journey that would allow Baret to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. Filled with adventure, romance, and a testament to the mental, emotional, and physical strength of a singular woman, this novel allows the reader to adopt Jeanne Baret as their new role model.

While the facts are fascinating and the plot intoxicating, Ridley continues to counter facts previously assumed about Jeanne Baret and her expedition around the world. Not possessing any prior knowledge about the events surrounding Baret's life, I was not surprised by any revelations made by Ridley. However, the novel was still compelling and allowed me into the life of a truly remarkable woman. "The Discovery of Jeanne Baret" is not your typical biography and if you are not familiar with Baret's story and accomplishments, I highly recommend reading this novel.

**Note: If purchasing the paperback edition, do not forget to read Ridley's afterword. It truly allows you to appreciate the ending of this remarkable story.

In 1765, King Louis XV ordered the first French expedition around the world. Philibert Commerson was appointed the voyage's botanist and charged with discovering medicines, spices and other resources. No women were allowed on ships on this kind of voyage but Commerson's mistress, twenty-six year old Jeanne Baret managed to come aboard posing as Commerson's young male assistant. She was able to keep the ruse up for quite a while but eventually it all fell apart. Even so, she was the first woman to circumnavigate the Earth.

This book was incredibly well researched but I found it too academic for my taste. Because everything takes place was so long ago and not many first person accounts from people on the voyage are out there, the author has to make quite a few assumptions about what may or may not have happened. She always backed them up with historical background information or by outlining the logic that lead to her conclusions, which I thought was great. However, since there is no known first person journal or letters written by Jeanne Baret herself, the author also makes a lot of assumptions about how Baret was feeling or what she was thinking in various situations. I didn't always agree with the author's reasoning in these cases. The author clearly admires Baret, which she should, but I think this led her to be overly generous with some of her assumptions.

I would have preferred to read this story as historical fiction - then the author could have made all the assumptions she wanted without having to outline her reasoning and documentation. I think that is part of what made this a dry read. There is quite a bit of information about the plants that Commerson and Baret documented on the voyage so if you have an interest in botany, you will probably enjoy those parts quite a bit. All in all, it is an interesting story and even though I thought the book had some flaws; I'm glad I read it. This would be a 3.5 star review if Amazon let you give half stars.

Maybe it is because I now have many wonderful followers of my blog or maybe it is because so many wonderful fellow bloggers leave wonderful comments on my blog posts...well, honestly, I don't know why, but for some reason I now receive many, many offers of free books to be reviewed. And now, unlike in the past, many, many of these many, many offers of free books are books that are fabulous. And unknown.

My favorite kinds of reads. Small, unknown treasures.

This book is one of those small, unknown treasures. It's nonfiction and it's the best kind of nonfiction, nonfiction that reads like fiction.

Let me tell you a little about the story. Jeanne Baret grew up in poverty in rural France in the mid-seventeen hundreds. She became very knowledgeable about herbs and plants. She came to the attention of renowned botanist Philibert Commerson and became his assistant, collecting plants and helping him classify and label them. Eventually she became his mistress. Commerson was asked to undertake a round-the-world trip to collect plants and Baret, disguised as a man in order to accompany him, went along.

The author has carefully researched this story and put clues together to create a complete picture of Baret's time aboard this ship. A fascinating and intriguing story.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this great read.