Evolution's Captain: The Tragic Fate of Robert FitzRoy, the Man Who Sailed Charles Darwin Around the World (Paperback)

Fitzroy: The Remarkable Story of Darwin's Captain and the Invention of the Weather Forecast by John Gribbin 5.0 out of 5 stars (5)

Savage: The Life and Times of Jemmy Button by Nick Hazlewood 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson 4.7 out of 5 stars (70)  £5.48

The Voyage of the Beagle (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature) by Charles Darwin 4.1 out of 5 stars (8)  £3.79

The Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin's Extraordinary Adventure in Fitzroy's Famous Survey Ship by James Taylor 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £14.00

› Explore similar items

Review
Rich and full of vivid imagery, this offering from the author of A Voyage for Madmen considers the man who captained the Beagle during the epic voyage that would result in Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. Nichols eschews the boat's most famous passenger and focuses instead on Robert Fitzroy, the brilliant young seafarer who did battle with those fierce elements at the bottom of the world. His motives, misplaced or otherwise, are analysed, as are the effects of his maritime experiences and how his erstwhile friend Darwin's seminal work would all but shatter his beliefs and his life. Nichols's rhythmic prose brings to life the privations and adventures of years spent at sea during the early 19th century, conjuring up the fearsome power of the boiling seas around Cape Horn and the majesty of the landscape of Tierra del Fuego. The encounters between the English with their 'assumption of moral, intellectual and religious superiority' and the indigenous inhabitants of that land of fire are both fascinating to read and astounding in the incredibly insensitive racism they reveal. During the heyday of Britain's empire building days it was essential to sort out a 'gateway between the oceans' - a sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific - so that trade would boom and 'God and moral certainty' could reach the farthest corners. The author's talents are put to good use with his brilliant portrayal of a time when the entire planet seemed nothing more than the plaything of omnipotent empires. Despair and inept suicide attempts, high adventure and bravery, stolen boats and international incidents, phrenology and kidnap are all combined within these pages. Nichols's experience and personal knowledge of the sea informs his erudite writing, and his use of journals and chronicles of the time perfectly complements his own words. (Kirkus UK)

Product Description
The early nineteenth century was a heroic age for British maritime exploits. Small naval vessels were sent around the world to make charts, plot the oceans and ease the way for empire. One such vessel was the Beagle. The Admiralty despatched it to Tierra del Fuego - some of the wildest and most dangerous seas in the world - to chart the waters. The first captain, Stokes, committed suicide, dying slowly and painfully from his gunshot wounds. The second, Robert FitzRoy was little happier. He was a sailor in the heroic mould, but his plan to take four 'savages' hostage when one of the Beagle's dinghies was stolen went drastically wrong. York Minster, Jemmy Button, and two others were taken to Britain to be educated as Christian gentlefolk. And then to be returned to their native lands on the next expedition - the one made famous by the presence on the boat of Charles Darwin. Like all the best made plans, it did not work out like that. This true story is intriguing history, reveals great science in the making and reads like the best historical fiction. A quite exceptional story.

See all Product Description

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover

Search inside this book:

3 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   8 of 9 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars "The only thing that bothered Fitzroy was Darwin's face.", 19 Aug 2003 By  Bruce Loveitt (Ogdensburg, NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Evolution's Captain: The Tragic Fate of Robert FitzRoy, the Man Who Sailed Charles Darwin Around the World (Hardcover) Poor Robert Fitzroy has been relegated to the footnotes section of history.....oh, yes, wasn't he the captain of "The Beagle"? Yes he was, but he was much more. He was also a Member of Parliament, a governor of New Zealand, and he founded the British government's Meteorological Office. The downside of Peter Nichols' book is he gives rather short shrift to these generally unknown aspects of Fitzroy's career. But, when Mr. Nichols is on his home turf (the ocean), he sparkles. He is clearly most happy when discussing Fitzroy the "boy wonder" captain and surveyor. (Fitzroy was in his mid-twenties when he squired young Mr. Darwin around the world.) We can feel the ocean spray and smell the salt air. Not only that, but we really feel that we get to know Fitzroy, warts and all. He was an excellent and brave captain. He cared about his men. He was also intelligent and charming. On the less pleasant side, he had a very thin skin, a bad temper, and was subject to bouts of depression. During five long years at sea Darwin got to see every facet of Fitzroy. Mr. Nichols is also fascinating when he talks about the four Fuegians that Fitzroy brought back to England....hoping to civilize them and bring them back to further spread British culture along the southern tip of South America. The second voyage of "The Beagle" with Fitzroy as captain was the voyage where Fitzroy brought the natives back home, and it was also the voyage with Darwin on board as naturalist. Fitzroy was a strong believer in phrenology, and initially had doubts about Darwin because of Darwin's "hooded brow and large, spatulate nose." Fortunately for science, Fitzroy was won over by Darwin's intelligence and genial personality. Both men started the journey with a great deal of scientific curiosity and with orthodox religious beliefs. Darwin's theories led him to atheism. Fitzroy remained very religious all his life. If it hadn't been for Fitzroy, Darwin likely never would have come up with his theory of evolution by natural selection. The irony of this wasn't lost on Fitzroy. Again, all this is well, even brilliantly told, by Mr. Nichols. The book loses steam when we read about the later developments in Fitzroy's life, but the rest of this book is so good that we can forgive Mr. Nichols for not being able to maintain the high level of writing throughout. The definitive biography of Robert Fitzroy remains to be written, but this book goes a long way in bringing him off the bottom of the page. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating biography of a flawed hero, 26 May 2007 By  Tregeagle (Suffolk, England) - See all my reviews Robert Fitzroy, who became captain of the Beagle in 1828 at the age of 23, was a brilliant navigator and a man of great courage, but also naive and deeply insecure. This immensely readable biography draws an intriguing portrait of Fitzroy - the captain, the idealist, the friend of Darwin - who came to believe himself a failure and whose life ended in sadness and ironic suicide. Most fascinating is the ultimately tragic story of how he brought four Yamana natives of Tierra del Fuego to England in the 1830s and the triumphs and disasters that were the consequences of that act. Peter Nichols has written a superb biography that reads like a gripping narrative. The necessary detail is never dry or overwhelming in this tale of events both exciting and moving, sometimes comic but often deeply sad. My only quibble is that the map included is insufficiently detailed to follow some of Fitzroy's exploration of Tierra del Fuego and the angry oceans near Cape Horn. Heartily recommended. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A stormy life, 4 Mar 2007 By  Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    This review is from: Evolution's Captain: The Tragic Fate of Robert FitzRoy, the Man Who Sailed Charles Darwin Around the World (Hardcover) Britain's Royal Navy has had many figures worthy of note. Some of these have inspired good works of history, while others prompted novelists to produce stirring tales of more or less believable adventures. Captain William Bligh almost immediately comes to mind, as does Patrick O'Brian's lengthy series on Jack Aubrey. One real figure, who should stand out for many accomplishments, has been quietly relegated to the shadows - if not scorned for holding rigid views. Robert FitzRoy, however, was a man of many parts who deserves better treatment. Peter Nichols provides that assessment in this fine biography. The title, however, gives the game away. FitzRoy's name was overshadowed by the passenger he carried for five years, Charles Robert Darwin. FitzRoy's ascent to the captaincy of HMS Beagle seemed ill-omened. His predecessor, Stokes Pringle, overwhelmed by the enormity of his assignment, put a bullet in his head, taking a dozen days to expire. The task, mapping a channel through Tierra del Fuego in an effort to smooth the path of empire, was taxing enough to make the bravest quail. The 500 kilometre straight might require sailing five times that distance to traverse it - if you made it at all. FitzRoy, although unaccountably young for the mapping job, took it over and pursued it with determination. During the survey, a whaleboat stolen by the Fuegians proved a pivotal point in his life. In attempting to recover the boat, FitzRoy abducted four of the natives, returning them to England as a means of raising them to become civilised Christians. Nichols seems sympathetic to this concept, even while knowing it was doomed to failure. The world knows the subsequent events: while preparing for the next voyage, FitzRoy brought on board a "companion", Charles Darwin. Not Navy, and not the official "naturalist", Darwin was a gentlemen who could converse with the isolated officer. As a "gentleman", Darwin had less regard for the Fuegians than did FitzRoy, yet condemned slavery while the captain viewed the practice as a civilising force. This discussion was set aside when the pair observed the obvious effects of running water far from the sea. A Noachean Flood, or an ancient Earth? There were clashes and apologies, FitzRoy driving Darwin from his cabin, only to lure him back. The captain's moods were an on-going topic of the ship's officers. The dismal end of his predecessor also may have preyed on FitzRoy's mind when the Beagle beat up the Chilean coast. He believed the mapping inadequate and wanted to return to the Strait for more surveys. Distraught, he actually resigned his command, but was talked out of it by his officers. At the end of the survey voyage, FitzRoy went through several roles. Unable to gain a ship, he was a Member of Parliament briefly and was sent to New Zealand as its governor. Empire building is fraught with risks and Nichols is only mildly sympathetic with FitzRoy's disastrous role there. The new governor was shipped home after but two years. Back in England, FitzRoy's command skills brought him to a novel task - weather forecasting. The science was just beginning and FitzRoy initiated a reporting and prediction system across the British Isles. At the height of his success at this venture, the Admiralty shut it down, even in the face of the fishing fleet's demands to sustain it. A see-saw career if there ever was one. The final chapter of the Captain's life [by which time he was a Rear Admiral] was one of fundamental challenges. Already a religious man, FitzRoy became steeped in the Bible's words, becoming convinced it would brook no challenges. Changes observed in the natural record were manifestations of the divine, FitzRoy believed. His notions were reinforced by various commentators like Philip Gosse, who viewed the growing sciences of geology and biology with fear and loathing. In 1859, however, all those declaring Nature could be unravelled by Biblical study were directly refuted by the publication of Darwin's opus, "On the Origin of Species". Reason and evidence triumphed over superstition and dogma. FitzRoy was outraged, and expressed it at the famous British Association meeting the following year. It's not known how much this revelation led to FitzRoy's taking his own life, but it can hardly have been insignificant. Nichols concludes that Darwin's work was but one symbol of a rapidly changing time. The author examines British society at this point in FitzRoy's with a perceptive eye. Civilisation was moving forward and the author concludes FitzRoy felt left behind. The fear of social upheaval was already being overtaken by events - Darwin's natural selection had little, if anything, to do with it, notes Nichols. It's a worthy thesis, lacking only a more thorough analysis of its roots. We never learn of the early foundations of the captain's thinking. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 3 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

Best Popular Science for the non-scientist: A list by T. Bobley "Tibley Bobley"   My All-Time Favourites (So Far): A list by Gilly McGillicuddy   Great holiday reads: A list by Fiction Fan Create a Listmania! list

Search Listmania!

• Books > Biography > Historical
• Books > History > Other Historical Subjects > Discovery & Exploration
• Books > Science & Nature

• Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
• I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
• I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.