Spice Islands Voyage

Tim Severin (1940–2020) was an explorer and award-winning writer whose expeditions sought to test the truth behind legendary journeys. He famously sailed a leather boat across the Atlantic in the wake of St Brendan, captained an Arab dhow from Oman to China to follow the tales of Sindbad, voyaged in replicas of Bronze Age and classical ships to retrace the routes of Jason, the Argonauts and Ulysses, and rode on horseback with nomads in Mongolia in search of Genghis Khan’s legacy. He also followed the path of the first Crusader knights from Europe to the Holy Land, sailed the Pacific on a bamboo raft, uncovered the real-life inspiration for Robinson Crusoe, explored the origins of Moby-Dick among the whale hunters of the Pacific, and, in this book, traced Alfred Russel Wallace’s explorations in Indonesia.Severin recorded these quests in a series of acclaimed books and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, as well as the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, The Book of the Sea Award, a Christopher Prize and the Académie de la Marine’s literary medal.

‘A fascinating voyage through the Indonesian Archipelago journeys of Victorian naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace’ Publishers Weekly‘An excellent book’ The Times‘Absorbing and exciting.’ Kirkus Reviews‘A moving biography and work of exploration.’ The Independent

• Prahu Kalulis Alfred Wallace    IXSpice Islands Voyage 1996    XThe Fever Victim     1Kei Island Prahu    29Big Kei    56Aru    87Turtle Beach    118Jewels of the Moluccas    139The Sago Zone    159Red Birds-of-Paradise    176Bacan    201Ternate    221Wallace’s Standardwing    243Maleos and Bats    262Gadfly and Guru    282Epilogue    308Further Reading    320Acknowledgements    321