Bright Paradise: Victorian Scientific Travellers

Bright Paradise: Victorian Scientific Travellers

by PeterRaby (Author)

Synopsis

'A fabulously rich, anecdotal and gripping account of those men and women who ventured out from Britain into the swamps and jungles of the tropics in search, knowingly or not, of the missing link. Through their stoical-sometimes crack-brained-voyages, the shape of the world, geographically and biologically, was elucidated. Never have more significant journeys been made. . . . Enthusiastic, informed and racy, this is one of the most invigorating accounts of the exploits of people from an age whose intrepidity is staggering. ' 'Peter Raby's book follows a disparate crew of botanists, scientists and collectors, who tried to order the earthly paradise which unfolded around them. Entrepreneurs they may have been - many were dependent on selling their specimens to finance their trips-but they were also scrupulous and sensitive observers. . . . Raby finds some shimmering, personalities. . . . His book is excellent. ' DAILY TELEGRAPH

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Edition: New Ed
Publisher: Pimlico
Published: 05 Jun 1997

ISBN 10: 071267392X
ISBN 13: 9780712673921
Book Overview: BRIGHT PARADISE traces the extraordinary journeys of discovery of some key Victorian scientific travellers. Inspired by Darwin and his voyages on the BEAGLE, a new generation of naturalists and scientists set out to explore tropical forests and moutain ranges. 19961007

Media Reviews
Lucid...fast-moving...skillful * Literary Review *
Enthusiastic, informed and racy, this is one of the most invigorating accounts of the exploits of people from an age whose intrepidity is staggering * Scotland on Sunday *
Excellent * Daily Telegraph *
Author Bio
Peter Raby lectures in Drama and English at Homerton College, Cambridge. His books include Fair Ophelia: A Life of Harriet Smithson Berlioz, Oscar Wilde, and the highly acclaimed biography Samuel Butler. He lives with his wife and family in a village on the edge of the fens.