Product reviews

This is the story of the voyage of The Beagle; the journey which inspired Charles Darwin to write his "Origin of species". It concentrates on the relationship between Darwin and the ship's captain, Robert FitzRoy, who has slipped into relative obscurity. I didn't expect to enjoy this book and had approached it as something I should read, rather than something I wanted to read. I, however, became completely immersed in the story and can't recommend this book enough. I have bought it for countless friends' birthdays and they have all enjoyed it too.

FitzRoy immerges as the real star of the story, with Darwin coming across as rather brash and bumbling. FitzRoy is definitely an unsung - and tragically misunderstood - hero as the father of the modern weather forecast and the only person to have had a shipping area named after him (you know, the ones they read out on the shipping forecast on Radio 4, Dogger, German Bite etc. - listen out for FitzRoy next time you hear it!!).

I have never read an historical novel I have enjoyed so much and rate this book as my favorite at the present time!