Matthew James is a Fellow of the the California Academy of Sciences, and Professor of Paleontology at Sonoma State University. He has been writing about the Galapagos in historical, scientific, and research capacities for over thirty years.

The author's focus upon the activities of the young collectors lends an attractive sense of concreteness to his narrative. He leaves no reason to doubt that collecting in the field can be difficult, dangerous, and exhausting work, amid vomit, bed bugs, and swamping boats.

• Preface Acknowledgements Note to the Reader Prologue 1: Halfway to the Stars 2: Walking in Darwin's Footsteps 3: Setting Sail from San Francisco 4: Before It Is Too Late 5: Collecting Evolution 6: Galápagos at Last 7: Confluence: Where Geography and Ideas Meet 8: On Death, and Life, in Galápagos 9: Down to the Sea in Ships: Ship's Log, 1905 10: Rising from the Ashes 11: Ship's Log, 1906 12: That Sinking Feeling 13: Darwin's Islands Meet the Plant Wizard of Santa Rosa 14: The Voyage Home: Ship's Log 15: Vindicating Darwin Epilogue -- Legacy: Recent Use of California Academy of Sciences Specimens Chronology of the 1905 -- 1906 Galápagos Expedition Bibliography Index

Matthew James is a Fellow of the the California Academy of Sciences, and Professor of Paleontology at Sonoma State University. He has been writing about the Galapagos in historical, scientific, and research capacities for over thirty years.

The author's focus upon the activities of the young collectors lends an attractive sense of concreteness to his narrative. He leaves no reason to doubt that collecting in the field can be difficult, dangerous, and exhausting work, amid vomit, bed bugs, and swamping boats.

• Preface Acknowledgements Note to the Reader Prologue 1: Halfway to the Stars 2: Walking in Darwin's Footsteps 3: Setting Sail from San Francisco 4: Before It Is Too Late 5: Collecting Evolution 6: Galápagos at Last 7: Confluence: Where Geography and Ideas Meet 8: On Death, and Life, in Galápagos 9: Down to the Sea in Ships: Ship's Log, 1905 10: Rising from the Ashes 11: Ship's Log, 1906 12: That Sinking Feeling 13: Darwin's Islands Meet the Plant Wizard of Santa Rosa 14: The Voyage Home: Ship's Log 15: Vindicating Darwin Epilogue -- Legacy: Recent Use of California Academy of Sciences Specimens Chronology of the 1905 -- 1906 Galápagos Expedition Bibliography Index

Matthew James is a Fellow of the the California Academy of Sciences, and Professor of Paleontology at Sonoma State University. He has been writing about the Galapagos in historical, scientific, and research capacities for over thirty years.

The author's focus upon the activities of the young collectors lends an attractive sense of concreteness to his narrative. He leaves no reason to doubt that collecting in the field can be difficult, dangerous, and exhausting work, amid vomit, bed bugs, and swamping boats.

• Preface Acknowledgements Note to the Reader Prologue 1: Halfway to the Stars 2: Walking in Darwin's Footsteps 3: Setting Sail from San Francisco 4: Before It Is Too Late 5: Collecting Evolution 6: Galápagos at Last 7: Confluence: Where Geography and Ideas Meet 8: On Death, and Life, in Galápagos 9: Down to the Sea in Ships: Ship's Log, 1905 10: Rising from the Ashes 11: Ship's Log, 1906 12: That Sinking Feeling 13: Darwin's Islands Meet the Plant Wizard of Santa Rosa 14: The Voyage Home: Ship's Log 15: Vindicating Darwin Epilogue -- Legacy: Recent Use of California Academy of Sciences Specimens Chronology of the 1905 -- 1906 Galápagos Expedition Bibliography Index