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The Voyage of the Beagle

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The Voyage of the Beagle

By: Charles Darwin
Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
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About this listen

”I hate every wave of the ocean”, the seasick Charles Darwin wrote to his family during his five-year voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle. It was this world-wide journey, however, that launched the scientists career.

The Voyage of the Beagle is Darwin's fascinating account of his trip - of his biological and geological observations and collection activities, of his speculations about the causes and theories behind scientific phenomena, of his interactions with various native peoples, of his beautiful descriptions of the lands he visited, and of his amazing discoveries in the Galapagos archipelago.

Although scientific in nature, the literary quality rivals those of John Muir and Henry Thoreau. Charles Robert Darwin, FRS (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. Darwin published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, overcoming scientific rejection of earlier concepts of transmutation of species.

By the 1870s the scientific community and much of the general public had accepted evolution as a fact. However, many favoured competing explanations and it was not until the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis from the 1930s to the 1950s that a broad consensus developed in which natural selection was the basic mechanism of evolution. In modified form, Darwin's scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the diversity of life.

Public Domain (P)2013 Audible Ltd
Biological Sciences Biology Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology World Thought-Provoking Sailing Discovery

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Editor reviews

Barnaby Edwards narrates this lengthy, gorgeously detailed book. Racked with nausea and homesickness, novice surveyor Darwin still managed to thoughtfully and minutely detail his five-year voyage on the H. M. S. Beagle. During this long collection expedition Darwin began to formulate methods and ideas for defining life on Earth through the lens of the natural world. This quest would eventually yield Darwin the theory of evolution. Darwin’s youth, passion, braininess, and precise speech evidence themselves in this analytical but highly personal travelogue. Edwards lets the text do the talking, and through his refined English accent the listener is transported to the rough and wildly exotic terrains Darwin is exploring. Mirroring Darwin, Edwards sounds restrained and civilized but awed by the new worlds unfolding before him.

All stars
Most relevant  
Excellent performance and story wth racist elements of the time. The racism forgivable because of era when written.

Excellent performance and story.

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worth a read. very interesting and informative. Exposes some realities in life. Very good. throughly wellenjoyed it.

Absolutely brilliant

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Wasn't sure what to expect here.

it is superbly written and the science is outstanding.

The fortelling of evolution by the man who discovered it was a treat to listen too.

Fantastic

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A good insight on the period and times of the people and there attitude cruelty and the barbaric nature towards others.

darwin's views and perception on others

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If you can get over the imperialism, colonialism, racism, and bigotry of the times, it is a fantastic book by superior intelligence, who already looked like he was so close to his most famous discovery

Absolutely fascinated

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If you could sum up The Voyage of the Beagle in three words, what would they be?

Mindblowing, gripping, exciting

Who was your favorite character and why?

The young Charles Darwin really comes to life - his vast knowledge of the natural world, his kind heart, the earnestness of his enquiry, and above all his curiosity and radical open-mindedness towards the world. If you want to learn about the scientific method, you could do worse than learn from Darwin.

What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Barnaby Edwards’ reading is excellent. He really does justice to the elegance of the language, as well as to Darwin’s strong and varied emotions. He is also completely unfazed by Darwin’s liberal sprinklings of Spanish, French, German and Latin.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Darwin’s delight in exploration is infectious, and the book is intellectually very stimulating. There are many sad moments (accounts of slavery, famines, destitute miners, the aftermath of earthquakes and tsunamis). There are also many laughs: Darwin attempting to ride a Galapagos tortoise comes to mind.

Any additional comments?

The book is a scientific account of the places Darwin visited in a five year journey around the world, mainly in the southern hemisphere: Tierra del Fuego, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Uruguay, Brazil, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, Mauritius and many more. It vividly describes what it meant to take a journey by ship in the 1830s. Expect adventures: Storms at sea, cannibals, Indians attacking, the rescue of shipwrecked sailors. You will hear the intriguing story of Jemmy Button and two other natives of Tierra del Fuego, who had been abducted by Captain Fitzroy on the first voyage of the Beagle, and are now returned to their families. Among other things, Darwin samples tortoise urine (‘only slightly bitter’), learns to hunt with a lasso, and how to make fire with a friction-stick!

Highly, highly recommended!

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Fantastically read. Enjoyed much more than thought i would. Recommended for anyone interested in travel, wildlife, geology and nature.

Wonderful glimpse back in time

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As to be expected, this book emphasises the biological and geographical discoveries during the voyage; not many mentions on the trip itself, life on board, hardships encountered etc.
Great narration though!

not many details on the trip itself

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What did you like best about this story?

This really brings Darwin alive. Through his own words, we discover that he's not an ancient Victorian coot in a beard, but was an intelligent and adventurous young man who recounts his scientific and real adventures in a cool and calm manner, interspacing interesting accounts of life in South America with cool descriptions of the fauna and flora he encountered.

What does Barnaby Edwards bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

He brings it.... alive

A rip roaring historical tale that enthrals

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it is an enlightenment experience to listen to the thoughts of a young Charles Darwin with a formidable intelectual appetite for discovery, showing how being a naturalist must include also being a humanist. This is way beyond any preconceived stereotype of Charles Darwin

Mr Darwin the humanist

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