FitzRoy: The Remarkable Story of Darwin s Captain and the Invention of the Weather Forecast - Hardcover

Gribbin, John; Gribbin, Mary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300103611 ISBN 13: 9780300103618

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2004

Synopsis

The name of Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle, is forever linked with that of his most famous passenger, Charles Darwin. This exceptionally interesting biography brings FitzRoy out of Darwin’s shadow for the first time, revealing a man who experienced high adventure, suffered tragic disappointments, and—as the inventor of weather forecasting—saved the lives of countless fellow mariners.
John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin draw a detailed portrait of FitzRoy, recounting the wide range of his accomplishments and exploring the motivations that drove him. As a very young and successful commander in the British navy, FitzRoy’s life was in the mold of a Patrick O’Brian novel. Later disappointments, including an unpopular tenure as governor of New Zealand and a sense of dismay over his own contributions to Darwin’s ideas of evolution, troubled FitzRoy. Even his groundbreaking accomplishments in meteorological science failed to satisfy his high personal expectations, and in 1865 FitzRoy committed suicide at the age of sixty. This biography focuses well-deserved attention on FitzRoy’s status as a scientist and seaman, affirming that his was a life which, despite its sorrowful end, encompassed many more successes than failures.

About this title

About the Author

John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin are visiting fellows at the University of Sussex. John Gribbin has long been interested in the weather and is a fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. Mary Gribbin has a special interest in exploration and is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Together they have written many books on science topics.

From the Inside Flap

"[A] superb and moving biography."--Toby Green, Independent

"[A] finely drawn portrait that emerges from FitzRoy is of a very British hero in the mould of Nelson, who sacrificed his health and personal fortune in the service of his country."--Gavin Bell, Daily Telegraph

"FitzRoy is a fine read and a well-balanced narrative of his life, from his early days as a sailor, through to his time at the helm of the Beagle, and then onwards to his meteorological research."--Dave Musgrove, Living History

Reviews

History has not looked favorably on Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865), who captained the Beagle on Charles Darwin's famous trip around the globe. FitzRoy shared an inclination toward mental instability with his uncle Lord Castlereagh, one of the architects of post-Napoleonic Europe, and ultimately slit his own throat. He became a Bible-quoting literalist on the creation of the world and famously broke with Darwin after the publication of On the Origin of Species. However, the Gribbins (Stardust) show that FitzRoy was dedicated to public service. As governor of New Zealand he offended colonists in his zeal to be fair toward the native Maoris, which got him quickly recalled. As head of the Meteorological Office he helped put the young field of meteorology on firm scientific foundations by setting up observation stations all around the British Isles, linked to London by telegraph. His network of storm warnings and uniform system of storm signals for use aboard ships were highly successful. Fitzroy was also the first to use the term "weather forecast." The Gribbins successfully pull their subject out of Darwin's long shadow and portray him as a notable figure in his own right. Readers interested in Darwin, meteorology or 19th-century seagoing life will all find this a delightful read. B&w illus.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robert FitzRoy was the captain of the Beagle, the ship that carried Charles Darwin to the Galapagos and other islands in the Pacific in the years between 1832 and 1836. A member of an aristocratic English family, he also served in Parliament for two years, and in 1843 he was appointed governor of New Zealand, a post in which he made himself unpopular with the British colonists by trying to uphold the rights of the Maori people. He later became a bitter and outspoken opponent of Darwin's theory of evolution. But FitzRoy's claim to fame was that he developed the fundamental techniques of weather forecasting, designed a standard barometer and thermometer (a prototype weather station), invented the system of storm warnings and signals that saved countless lives in the ensuing decades, and issued the first daily weather forecasts. Gribbins' meticulous biography is important in helping to establish the captain's place in history. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0300103611
• ISBN 13: 9780300103618
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352