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

Gribbin, John; Gribbin, Mary

ISBN 10: 0300103611 / ISBN 13: 9780300103618

Published by Yale University Press, 2004

About this Item

This copy has clearly been enjoyedâ expect noticeable shelf wear and some minor creases to the cover. Binding is strong, and all pages are legible. May contain previous library markings or stamps.

Seller Inventory # DBV.0300103611.A

Bibliographic Details

• Title: FitzRoy: The Remarkable Story of Darwin s Captain and the Invention of the Weather Forecast
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300103611
• ISBN 13: 9780300103618
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: acceptable

About this title

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 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.