Between Man and Beast: An Unlikely Explorer and the African Adventure that Took the Victorian World by Storm

In 1856, Paul Du Chaillu ventured into the African jungle in search of a mythic beast, the gorilla. After wild encounters with vicious cannibals, deadly snakes, and tribal kings, Du Chaillu emerged with 20 preserved gorilla skins—two of which were stuffed and brought on tour—and walked smack dab into the biggest scientific debate of the time: Darwin's theory of evolution. Quickly, Du Chaillu's trophies went from objects of wonder to key pieces in an all-out intellectual war. With a wide range of characters, including Abraham Lincoln, Arthur Conan Doyle, P.T Barnum, Thackeray, and of course, Charles Darwin, this is a one of a kind book about a singular moment in history.

Monte Reel is also the author of The Last of the Tribe. He has written articles and essays for the New York Times Magazine, Harper’s and Outside, and he is a former foreign correspondent for the Washington Post. He lives outside of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.