
Naturalists in Paradise: Wallace, Bates and Spruce in the Amazon (Hardback)
John Hemming (author)
£19.95
Hardback
368 Pages /
Published: 23/03/2015
- In stock
Alfred Russel Wallace, Henry Walter Bates and Richard Spruce were English naturalists who went to Amazonia 150 years ago. This book is the first to combine all three young men's experiences of the Amazon, drawing heavily on their own letters and books. All three explored an unknown river and had many thrilling adventures: violent attacks of malaria, fearful rapids, murder attempts, encounters with newly contacted indigenous peoples, shipwrecks, and many other hardships. In addition to their huge contributions to knowledge of the Amazonian environment, each is particularly famous for one discovery. Wallace is acknowledged as a co-discoverer, along with Charles Darwin, of the theory of evolution. Bates discovered protective mimicry among insects, a phenomenon named after him. Spruce transported the quinine-bearing Cinchona tree, the most important medicinal plant of the nineteenth century, to India, where it saved countless lives from malaria.
Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd
ISBN: 9780500252109
Number of pages: 368
Weight: 1000 g
Dimensions: 235 x 172 x 42 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'Hemming's fascination [with the Amazon] shines out of every page ... a compelling story ... Hemming tells the story of this extraordinary trio without hype, wisely content to let the facts and their own reflections speak largely for themselves' - Daily Mail
'A splendid, indeed brilliant book ... the first comprehensive account of those three historic figures' - Wade Davis, winner of the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize
'Clear and compelling ... Hemming tells a hardly believable story with great clarity and sympathy' - Financial Times
'Hemming turns the technical nightmare of combined biographies into a seamless daydream ... his book is itself a little piece of intellectual paradise' - The Oldie
'This beautifully crafted book is not only a pleasure to handle but also a valuable reference work as it is complemented by a substantial bibliography and detailed cross-references' - Archives of Natural History
'A splendid, indeed brilliant book ... the first comprehensive account of those three historic figures' - Wade Davis, winner of the 2012 Samuel Johnson Prize
'Clear and compelling ... Hemming tells a hardly believable story with great clarity and sympathy' - Financial Times
'Hemming turns the technical nightmare of combined biographies into a seamless daydream ... his book is itself a little piece of intellectual paradise' - The Oldie
'This beautifully crafted book is not only a pleasure to handle but also a valuable reference work as it is complemented by a substantial bibliography and detailed cross-references' - Archives of Natural History
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