Archipelago is an excellent book on several levels. First, as a photo essay of the biota of the Indonesian islands it must be beyond compare. The photos are simply awesome, leaf through it and see for yourself. Second, it tells the story of one of the worlds least known but greatest scientists, Alfred Wallace. Wallace was just as responsible for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection as Charles Darwin. If you are interested in the history of science or a biology student at any level you should be aware of Wallace's work. This is as good a book to learn about it as any. One slight complaint, in reading this book I felt that the authors felt that Wallace received a raw deal from Darwin and the rest of the scientific community. I don't know if it's true or if the truth will ever be known. I know that Wallace didn't feel that way so why include it here? Third, this book is so much a trip through time. Each chapter on Wallace in the islands is mixed with modern essays on life in the islands and what is happening to the environment there. As an environmentalist "call to arms" it is great, because it is backed by better science through a broader range of disciplines than any I have seen.

I'm not a big fan of the "Coffee Table Book" but this is an exception. While it might be tempting to only look at the pictures, the text is in such a interesting format that reading it turns out to be such a breeze that you will be done before you notice.

this is a great book. It covers in detail the jouneys of that great explorer/naturalist/thinker Alfred E. Wallace through Indonesia and addresses the current state of affairs and threats to its natural treasures.

This beautiful coffee table book goes far beyond presenting the tropical and exotic beauty of this complex archipelago. True, outstanding photos highlight the natural splendor, rich culture and exotic architecture. But the authors also explore its historical significance, beginning with Wallace's 19th century discoveries in biogeography, continuing through the current, looming ecological crisis wrought by exploitation of the islands' natural resources. For those who have traveled to Indonesia, or have ever wished to, this book is a must.

This excellent collection of Wallace's writings, interspersed with commentary and vignettes by the editor, is very well done and a welcome addition to the literature about/by Wallace. The relationship, or 'delicate arrangement', between Wallace and Darwin, and the triggering of Darwin's book by the Ternate paper, is one of the strange and scandalous mysteries of the evolution of science, and a tale seldom told straight, in a tradition too many wish to fix with their own agendas and unable to quite handle the unconforming Wallace (cf. Brackman's A Delicate Arrangement). The Darwinians simply don't get it. The text contains a selection of Wallace's spiritualist views, and while these are caught up in the confusions of the first discredited 'new age' and theosophical movements of the nineteenth century and helped to discredit him, they do register Wallace's deeper insight finally than Darwin's into the problems in evolutionary theory, taken as a thesis about natural selection. Noone seems to grasp that Wallace not only co-discovered selectionist evolution, but was able to see the catch in the resulting account of the descent of man, which is the emergence of potential, not explicable in terms of adaptation. Someday the world will catch up with Wallace.
This fine book is slightly marred with Gould's tendentious remarks about Wallace in a short preface. If Wallace's reputation suffers it is partly because the Darwinian establishment keeps him in a box, witness this preface with its polite sideswiping. I hope it will increase sales with Gould's name and that readers will skip the preface for the book. Gould was quietly nervous about this aspect of his Darwin obsessiveness.
It is a mystery if ever there was one.
Stand back and consider the remarkable set of facts involved in the duo, starting with Darwin's early paper, Wallace coming from behind, the unnecessary sending of the paper to Darwin (he could have had the credit, the overall constellation of events and the resulting dialectical spread of views, something quite different from one man producing a theory. Does it not strike one as quite odd? To the Darwinian reinventors of Plato's Cave, it won't seem odd at all, they are too far gone.
I hope this is the beginning of a new proper account of biological theory, Wallace to the fore. Darwin's delay, and the missing letters, and the rigging of the Linean Society papers, do not bode well for the always-propped-up reputation of the Great Founder beside the real one, depicted here. Excellent book.

Alfred Russel Wallace was one of the nineteenth century's most brilliant observers of man and nature. He is best known for his working out of the theory of natural selection, and the way his communication to Darwin on the subject propelled the latter into action resulting in his "On the Origin of Species." But Wallace was much more than this, and had interests a good deal more far-ranging than Darwin's. In addition to his natural selection connection, Wallace can reasonably be credited as the founder of the modern school of biogeographic thought, as history's foremost tropical naturalist and field biologist, and as one of the founders of the science of exobiology. So too, he was one of his period's most vocal supporters of spiritualism, a leader of the land nationalization movement, a prominent socialist, and an outspoken supporter of women's suffrage and opponent of mandatory vaccination.

With credentials like these, it is hardly credible that he is as little known today as he is. Certainly his "other man" status viz. Darwin hasn't helped, but neither did he during his own life attempt to draw attention to himself in all these connections. Add to this a perfectly clear and enquiring mind, a bit of naivety, and one of the most uncompromisingly pro-"little guy" understandings of the human condition, and you have a personality who is much overdue for re-examination.

Berry's anthology continues (but does not end) the recent Wallace renaissance. Berry has done a remarkable job of covering the range of Wallace's interests in just one volume, though to do so he has had to provide excerpts rather than whole works (with the exception of two or three of Wallace's most famous essays). He has also gotten the history right, and provided an editorial narrative that is mostly right on target, and pleasantly composed. If you are the kind of person who likes adventures in the realms of logical and sympathetic thinking, you'll love this collection!

Although the author himself says he is no writer, he is patently wrong - this book is full of wonderful descriptive, poetic passages, which underline this charming man's love of nature and dedication to the truth of scientific study, as opposed to the accepted 'truths' of the day.

An interesting insight into the groundwork that helped to develop the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, it also compares the British and the Dutch methods of colonisation, and controversially comes out on the side of the Dutch - against all current (and our received) perceptions of the Dutch as ruthless, money-grubbing opportunists.

Wallace was also unusual in using geographic and geological features combined with population spreads (human & biological) to support the new theories of continental drift and a world older than the Biblical model.

I'm lost in adsmiration for the way he managed to survive depravation, lack of company, housing, support, money and produce the finest collection of birds and insects that the world had ever seen; make comparative studies of the linguistic traits of all the major tribes; keep a detailed diary of all his travels ... all this in a known area of cannibals and head-hunters with only 3 or 4 assistants and he the only white person for hundreds of miles. Compare this to other explorers like Richard Burton who needed an entourage of several hundred for all their 'essentials'.

This book is a very readable profile of an enignatic Victorian naturalist at a crucial period in scientific history - would that I could have met him!

"The Malay Archipelago" is Wallace's most celebrated book. It went through fifteen editions during his own life alone, and has been translated into every major language (and a number of minor ones). It is clearly one of the greatest scientific travel books ever written, both for its well-constructed survey description of the region in question, and for its scientific value to the professional naturalist. Wallace spent eight years in Indonesia as a natural history collector; during this period he collected an incredible 125,000 specimens, carried out the first important field studies on the orangutan and paradise birds, clarified the ethnology of the region, discovered the faunal discontinuity known now as 'Wallace's Line,' was one of the first Europeans to take up residence for an extended period on the island of New Guinea, founded the modern approach to biogeographical analysis, and last but not least arrived upon the theory of natural selection. Today's casual reader will be troubled a little here and there by lists of Latin names of plants and animals, but this is a minor distraction from the telling of one of history's greatest feats of natural history investigation.

According to S. J. Gould Wallace came second and Darwin came first. For those of us who have studied Wallace, the above (though qualified) observation represents a misaprehension. Darwin was the pioneer of the modern theory of evolution and Wallace was an equivalent pioneer of biogeography.

This book is a treat. It is that rare amalgamation of biography, the geologic history of the Malay archipelago and an account of the geology and biodiversity of the Malay archipelago with maximal interest to any biologist or anyone who has the slightest interest in the wildlife of Austro-Asia.

It goes into exquisite detail into the formation of endemic species on island communities and bemoans the lack of botanical exposure in most studies. It also has one or two spectacular maps of ancient SE Asia. More maps and diagrams would have aided the discussion about localities which are usually very obscure to most readers.

This book deserves to be talked about and will certainly benefit the wildlife and our appreciation of Wallace and that region in all facets. Thank you Penny.

Written in laymans terms, "Where Worlds Collide", is easy reading for all the scientific theories that are narratively explained in cronological order. Fascinating and informative, with a easy flow of events that made this book very hard to put down.

Arnold Brackman's book on the 'delicate arrangement' concerning Darwin and Wallace is an important, now out of print and no doubt too little read, text on the enigma of the sources of the theory of evolution, and the suspicion about Darwin's delay and sudden breakthrough on the principle of divergence. The issues raised are shocking, and keep getting shunted aside by Darwinists in general. Brackman's book is not so easily dismissed. And beyond the specific questions which struggle for correct proof lies the more general picture of Darwin, which is clear and not very flattering, to say the least, irregardless of the actual facts of what skullduggery was occurring here that required such clear stealth tactics abetted by Hooker and Lyell, stretching to the staging of the joint announcement at the Linnean Society.

From Brackman's A Delicate Arrangement

Among Darwin's letters and journals that June morning of 1858 was a relatively thick envelope containing some twenty sheets of a thin 'foreign' stationary, probably rice paper, and probably pale violet in color. The manuscript was accompanied by a note from Alfred Russel Wallace, who had initiated a correspondence with Darwin only some twenty months earlier from Sarawak, Borneo... (Chapter 2)

(Chapter 3) Since the manuscript Wallace mailed from Ternate contained--in complete form--what is today known as the Darwinian theory of evolution, the date of its arrival at Down House acquires profound historical significance.

A quartet of dates is in the running as the date on which the postrider handed Wallace's envelope to Parslow. The first of the four-Friday, June 4--is speculative; the second--Tuesday, June 8--is the day Darwin wrote Hooker that he had suddenly found the missing 'keystone' of his theory; the third--Monday, June 14--is suggested by Darwin's 'little diary'; and the fourth--Friday, June 18--is the date publicly advanced by Darwin himself. Wherever the chronological reality may rest, June 1858 clearly marked for Darwin the moment of truth.
The problem is compounded by the disappearance of the Darwin envelope. The envelope...In all probability it no longer exists. It has either been misplaced or, more likely, destroyed.
The postal history of the period, the survival of a number of other Wallace letters from Ternate, and a consensus among philatelists is that it would take a letter from Ternate some twelve weeks to reach Down. According to the evidence found in Wallace's papers, he wrote out his complete theory of evolution toward the end of February and posted it March 9, when the first available Ductch vessel dropped anchor at Ternate. This is corroborated by a letter Wallace sent that same day by the same ship to Frederick Bates, the brother of Henry Walter Bates with whom Wallace had scoured the Amazon for species some years earlier. H. Lewis McKinney, a memeber of the University of Kansas faculty, was the first to draw attention to the Bates letter....

Wallace's letter to Darwin should have arrived the same day as Bates', June 3, or perhaps a day or two later. "It is only reasonable to assume that Wallace's communication to Darwin arrived at the same time and was delivered to Darwin at Down House on 3 June 1858, the same day as Bates' letter arrived in Leicester," said McKinney. "If this sequence is correct, as it appears to be, we must ask ourselves what Darwin was doing with Wallace's paper during the two weeks between 4 June and 18 June (when Darwin claimed to have received it)."

Two other books, John Brooks, "Just Before the Origin"
and
Raby's recent Alfred Rusell Wallace

Although the author himself says he is no writer, he is patently wrong - this book is full of wonderful descriptive, poetic passages, which underline this charming man's love of nature and dedication to the truth of scientific study, as opposed to the accepted 'truths' of the day.

An interesting insight into the groundwork that helped to develop the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, it also compares the British and the Dutch methods of colonisation, and controversially comes out on the side of the Dutch - against all current (and our received) perceptions of the Dutch as ruthless, money-grubbing opportunists.

Wallace was also unusual in using geographic and geological features combined with population spreads (human & biological) to support the new theories of continental drift and a world older than the Biblical model.

I'm lost in adsmiration for the way he managed to survive deprivation, lack of company, housing, support, money and produce the finest collection of birds and insects that the world had ever seen; make comparative studies of the linguistic traits of all the major tribes; keep a detailed diary of all his travels ... all this in a known area of cannibals and head-hunters with only 3 or 4 assistants and he the only white person for hundreds of miles.
Compare this to other explorers like Richard Burton who needed an entourage of several hundred for all their 'essentials'.

This book is a very readable profile of an enigmatic Victorian naturalist at a crucial period in scintific history - would that I could have met him!

Although Charles Darwin is the person always credited with developing the natural selection theory of evolution, history has it that Alfred Russel Wallace developed his own theory at the same time as Darwin was working on his. Wallace sent his theory to Darwin and when Darwin gave his presentation to the Linnaen Society in London during 1858, he also presented Wallace's parallel theory, from which came "the survival of the fittest."

At the time he was working on his theory of evolution,
Wallace was a complete materialist. "I was so thorough and confirmed a materialist that I could not at that time find a
place in my mind for the conception of spiritual existence, or for any agencies in the universe than matter and force," he
writes in the preface.

Wallace came to believe in the reality of spirit
communication and became an ardent Spiritualist. Many mainstream scientists of the day scoffed,sneered, and snickered, but Wallace remained steadfast in his beliefs. "I assert without fear of contradictionn that whenever the scientific men of any age have denied the facts of investigators on a priori grounds, they have always been wrong," he answered his critics.

Wallace gathers together the best evidence of the 19th Century and the testimony of esteemed scholars and scientists of that era who also investigated mediumship and spirit phenomena.

The words and wisdom of this book are as applicable today as they were 106 years ago. It makes one wonder why mainstream science has made so little progress in awakening to the Truths discovered by Wallace and others, suggesting perhaps that Truth is beyond absolute proof and that spiritual evolution requires constant seeking, searching, and striving.

To further quote Wallace: "My position, therefore, is that the phenomena of Spiritualism, in their entirety do not require further confirmationn. They are proved quite as well as any facts are proved in other sciences."

A young naturalist sets out to single-handedly explore the Amazon basin in the mid-19th century, his only help being Indian guides and interpreters.
This book is so refreshing after reading other travelogues that are either too introspective or full of overblown hyperbole. Mr.Wallace is, I admit, a favourite author of mine, but there is nothing partisan in my praise for his writing ability; in another, later, book he says he is no writer, but his minute descriptions of people, places and environs conjures up mental pictures almost as good as a video. He doesn't over-elaborate points, but describes them so well that any more words would be superfluous. Having read Humboldt's descriptions of the same areas, I know whose I prefer - one can almost smell the soil and foliage.
Reading the book today, there is something a little disturbing in the casual way he shoots everything that crosses his path to add to his collection, but when we consider the alternative of drawing and measuring each item on the spot (no cameras then) and the hyper-abundance of animal life in the forest at that time, it is no wonder he takes the easy option. There was no environmental crisis nor any need for species protection in those days - an area the size of Europe was governed from a town of 15.000 people!

He poses some questions that underpin the theory of evolution by natural selection, and it is interesting to observe first-hand the mental process of trying to understand why and how different species became adapted to a particular shape and lifestyle. Wallace and Darwin corresponded and independently arrived at the same result, which culminated in 'The Origin of Species' (also recommended); although Wallace had doubts about the completeness of the theory, believing in a higher authority which lent a helping hand now and again - reminding us a little of the modern-day clash between Gould & Dawkins.

A great example of good travel writing *****
This review refers to the original 1889 copy.

Jane Camerini's slender anthology of Wallace's writings (and writings about him) is intended to provide an introduction to the great naturalist, primarily through his adventures in the field. Camerini has chosen a format for presenting this information very similar to that provided by another Wallace scholar, Barbara Beddall, whose "Wallace and Bates in the Tropics" was published way back in 1969. Camerini supplements excerpts from four books with her own introductory commentaries and a few additional Wallace essays, hoping that this will give the reader unfamiliar with his accomplishments some feel for them. I think she succeeds in this endeavor. The book is well organized and presented, including a number of interesting photos and figures, and Camerini's editorial commentaries are mostly right on target. Yet I cannot help but feel the brevity of the treatment will leave some readers puzzled. I'm not sure that the decision to include several essays of a more technical nature in a 200 page work was well advised; the gap between the fieldwork studies and Wallace's thought is considerable--not unfathomable, but not straightforward either--and the average reader may need more help than Camerini gives to appreciate the transition. Alternately, it might have been interesting to dwell strictly on the field studies--incorporating a greater diversity of excerpts--and then merely to refer to his future philosophical directions in a page or two of editorial comment at the end. Still, an interesting contribution to Wallace studies, and one which is likely to both complement and not duplicate the several others that will be appearing over the next months.

Jane Camerini has performed a great service to all who are
interested in evolutionary theory. Wallace deserves to be
regarded as the co-founder of the modern theory of evolution.
He also wrote on a wide range of scientific and social topics.
Camerini's introductory remarks to each of the essays in this
collection help put them in their context.

Bronowski's Ascent of Man acquainted me with the main facts of Wallace's life. Frankly, that sufficed... Raby did not delve deeply enough into aspects of Wallace's character or contributions. The value of Raby's detailed biography lies not in learning more about Wallace's travels or seances, but in his careful, evenhanded examination of the relation between Darwin and Wallace.

Anybody pondering accusations of conspiracy would be well advised to read this book. The ending is particularly well done.

My view of this book falls somewhere between those of the first reviewer, and the most recent one. Raby's organization and style of writing is light, bright and entertaining, and he researched his subject well enough to come up with some tidbits that had not been generally known before--such as the name of the lady who spurned Wallace's advances shortly after he returned from the Malay Archipelago. Some of the photographs he includes are real gems, as well. This is a very good, largely error-free and readable biography if one wishes a general survey of Wallace's life, which was a very impressive one. On the other hand, it is largely a failure as an analytical work. Although Raby in effect summarizes various people's opinions as to what exactly it was that Wallace was about, he offers no fresh insights as to the nature of his thought. Some will argue that it is enough to lay a foundation that will help in getting people to start *thinking* about Wallace's ideas again, but there is not even the hint of a suggestion in this study that we need to do more in this sense than marvel at the man's feats of exploration and fieldwork, decent, inventive character, and range of interests--marvelous as they all were.

I submit that there is in fact a good deal more that needs to be done in unravelling Wallace's worldview. Beyond the fact that he came very close to becoming one of the very most famous scientists in history (and indeed by the end of his life he may well actually have been *the* most famous scientist in the world!), his positions on evolutionary cosmology (as well as on natural selection in particular) have not so much proved to be wrong as they have not (yet) been proved to be right. A few apt theoretical and/or conceptual discoveries could quickly change this.

There is hardly another person in history who had such a coherent and comprehensive view of nature and humankind's place in it (that is, not just as an abstraction as many of our other great thinkers--philosophers, theologians, etc.--have had, but as a real and natural environment within which things actually happen, and for particular reasons). I think it would be a pity if we relegated him to "history" and left it at that.

Raby (drama and English, Cambridge Univ.) has written a very readable biography of Victorian naturalist Wallace. He describes how Wallace's friendship with the budding entomologist Henry Walter Bates led to travels with Bates to the river basins of the Amazon.com and Rio Negro in South America and to his subsequent journey to the archipelagoes of the East Indies where he formulated his own theory of evolution. The "luxuriance" and "diversity" he witnessed there profoundly influenced his maturation as naturalist and evolutionist; i.e., his concept of zoogeography (symbolized by the term, "Wallace's Line") was the result of his observations on the distribution of flora and fauna. Raby indicates that Charles Darwin's discoveries in organic geography and geology, Charles Lyell's geological contributions and ideas on the "antiquity of man," and the evolutionary theories of Jean Baptiste de Lamarck and Robert Chambers led Wallace to develop an evolutionary theory quite similar to that of Darwin, thereby prompting the latter to publish his own ideas on evolution. The book is well documented and will be a good resource for historians of science and students of Victorian history and ideas. General readers; upper-division undergraduates through professionals.