Gavan Daws and Marty Fujita
Archipelago
The Islands of Indonesia. From the Nineteenth-Century Discoveries of Alfred Russel Wallace to the Fate of Forests and Reefs in the Twenty-First Century
$60.00, £41.95 hardcover
9780520215764
Available Now
266 pages, 10 x 10-5/8 inches, 211 color illustrations, 5 b/w illustrations, 9 maps
November 1999, Available worldwide
Also in: Natural History: Animal; History & Philosophy of Science
November 1999, Available worldwide
Also in: Natural History: Animal; History & Philosophy of Science
The Indonesian archipelago is a land of timeless natural beauty that in the twenty-first century faces unprecedented environmental degradation. It was also the biological laboratory of Alfred Russel Wallace, who, working independently of Charles Darwin, discovered the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Wallace, who traveled for eight years in the archipelago, was one of the greatest field naturalists and nature writers of his century. No one was more skilled in observing and describing living things. A prodigious collector, he was the first to bring living birds of paradise to the West. And he was a great thinker, a theorist as formidable as any on earth. This magnificent account of a true explorer sweeps from the time of Wallace's nineteenth-century discoveries in biogeography to the looming biodiversity crisis of the twenty-first century—from the exploration of natural wonders to the exploitation of natural resources. The result is a history that powerfully portrays the intricate connections of human life and natural life.
This unique story, published by the University of California Press in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, is resplendently presented with maps, archival materials, and more than 200 color photographs.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will go toward conservation efforts in Indonesia
Wallace, who traveled for eight years in the archipelago, was one of the greatest field naturalists and nature writers of his century. No one was more skilled in observing and describing living things. A prodigious collector, he was the first to bring living birds of paradise to the West. And he was a great thinker, a theorist as formidable as any on earth. This magnificent account of a true explorer sweeps from the time of Wallace's nineteenth-century discoveries in biogeography to the looming biodiversity crisis of the twenty-first century—from the exploration of natural wonders to the exploitation of natural resources. The result is a history that powerfully portrays the intricate connections of human life and natural life.
This unique story, published by the University of California Press in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, is resplendently presented with maps, archival materials, and more than 200 color photographs.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will go toward conservation efforts in Indonesia
"Splendidly illustrated." —Natural History
"Stunning photographs compliment the text." —Science News
"The authors do a fine job of interspersing excerpts from Wallace's journals and papers, along with their narrative of his exploits. The magnificent color photographs work well to support the text." —Library Journal
"A vivid offering--filled with glorious modern photographs and a succinct text--that satisfies both eye and intellect." —Observer
"This beautifully illustrated book is both a very interesting account of[Wallace's] remarkable career and a clarion call about the loomingdestruction by human activity of an irreplaceable natural legacy." —Globe and Mail
"Extraordinarily beautiful." —Washington Post Book World
"Stunning photographs compliment the text." —Science News
"The authors do a fine job of interspersing excerpts from Wallace's journals and papers, along with their narrative of his exploits. The magnificent color photographs work well to support the text." —Library Journal
"A vivid offering--filled with glorious modern photographs and a succinct text--that satisfies both eye and intellect." —Observer
"This beautifully illustrated book is both a very interesting account of[Wallace's] remarkable career and a clarion call about the loomingdestruction by human activity of an irreplaceable natural legacy." —Globe and Mail
"Extraordinarily beautiful." —Washington Post Book World
"The narrative is extraordinary for its storytelling quality, making even the collection of beetles seem like high adventure." —Frank Stewart, author of A Natural History of Nature Writing
"Alfred Russel Wallace was a great field biologist, a heroic pioneer, and a peculiar but extraordinarily decent man--altogether, one of the most appealing scientific figures of the past two centuries. In the Malay Archipelago he found a world of wonders that led him toward wondrous insights. Gavan Daws and Marty Fujita have done a fine service by putting those two--the man and the archipelago--into one big frieze. This is a lovely, valuable book."—David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo, Wild Thoughts from Wild Places, and Natural Acts
"Alfred Russel Wallace was a great field biologist, a heroic pioneer, and a peculiar but extraordinarily decent man--altogether, one of the most appealing scientific figures of the past two centuries. In the Malay Archipelago he found a world of wonders that led him toward wondrous insights. Gavan Daws and Marty Fujita have done a fine service by putting those two--the man and the archipelago--into one big frieze. This is a lovely, valuable book."—David Quammen, author of The Song of the Dodo, Wild Thoughts from Wild Places, and Natural Acts
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