The Malay Archipelago: The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise (Stanfords Travel Classics) - Softcover

Wallace, Alfred Russel

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1909612553 ISBN 13: 9781909612556

Publisher: John Beaufoy Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

Alfred Russel Wallace's The Malay Archipelago is a work of astounding breadth and originality that chronicles the British naturalist's scientific exploration of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and New Guinea between 1854 and 1862. An intrepid explorer who earned his living by collecting bird skins, Wallace also cataloged the vast number of plant and animal species that inhabited this unique geographical area. In addition he includes numerous observations on the people, their languages and ways of living and social organization as well as geological insights into the nature and activity of volcanoes and the destructive force of nature. Colorful personal anecdotes based on experiences during his travels also pepper the text. First published in 1869, [i]The Malay Archipelago[/i] provided some of the initial evidence of the modern theory of evolution. Discursive, captivating, occasionally offensive, but always wonderfully descriptive, The Malay Archipelago remains one of the most extensive works of natural history ever compiled.

About this title

From the Author

Alfred Russel Wallace was a British naturalist and explorer. He is best known for proposing a theory of natural selection which is believed to have prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own theory.Wallace performed extensive fieldwork, first in the Amazon River basin and then in the Malay Archipelago.

From the Back Cover

Much as Charles Darwin's name is inextricably associated with the Galapagos, Alfred Russel Wallace's is deeply associated with Indonesia. A British biologist and explorer--and a contemporary of Darwin who developed his own theory of evolution in parallel--Wallace spent eight years in the region, covering 14,000 square miles in his expeditions, amassing an unparalleled collection of 125,000 specimens of local insects and animals, and becoming the first European to set foot in many of the exotic places in which he tarried to study.

Considered one of the 19th century's greatest scientific and travel books, this classic volume details his journeys and intellectual endeavors, from his friendships with the natives to his startlement at the strange creatures who lived there.

This replica of the 1890 tenth edition, complete with all the beautiful original line drawings and maps, will thrill students of natural history, armchair travelers, and anyone fascinated by the human urge to explore.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Beaufoy Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1909612553
• ISBN 13: 9781909612556
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 552