The Naturalist in Nicaragua [Hardcover]

Thomas Belt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1985 | ISBN-10: 0226042197 | ISBN-13: 978-0226042190

"The best of all natural history journals which have ever been published."—Charles Darwin, 1874. Beautifully illustrated and a pleasure to read, this classic book describes the geography, geology, ecology, flora, fauna, and native inhabitants of Nicaragua in the nineteenth century. Many of Belt's detailed and accurate observations were not confirmed until decades later—for example, the fact that certain plants have "standing armies" of ants that defend them.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

This masterpiece of scientific reportage and travel storytelling, first published in 1874, is a captivating narrative of the journeys of mining engineer Thomas Belt through the tropical rivers, valleys, forests, and lakes of Nicaragua. Replete with vivid descriptions of the animals and plants he encountered and full of ruminations on the geology of the region that were dismissed as fanciful at the time but have since been vindicated as true, this is "the best of all natural history journals which have ever been published," according to no less an authority than Charles Darwin. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 440 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (September 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226042197
• ISBN-13: 978-0226042190
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,237,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I've ever read!, May 13, 2009

By 

Reverend Mike (Detroit Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Naturalist in Nicaragua (Paperback)

This book should be required reading in school, the historical perspective, info on nature, and Belts perspective on anthropology are priceless and disturbing.

A cross between a travel book and biology class, under extreme conditions with 4 legged transportation. It makes me appreciate how difficult it was to travel, back in the day, in a tropical country.
The author was working for a mining company and travelled extensively. Belt does an excellent job of describing what he experienced.
Some things are little changed up to the present day, horses and mules are still pulling wagons with wooden wheels, now competing for room on the roads with modern 4x4's.
Nicaragua has lost much of what Belt describes but is still a beautiful country. Read the book, then go visit before the population destroys the rest....

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Naturalist in Nicaragua, December 11, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Naturalist in Nicaragua (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best natural history books ever writen. Thomas Belt lived in Nicargua for 4 years during the last century and his travel with in the country descrived the way the tropics used to be 100 years ago. Since he wrote the book, 98% of the low land tropical dry forest have been deforested.