Archipelago : Islands of Indonesia

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In the mid-1850s, a young English naturalist named Alfred Russel Wallace journeyed to the Malay Archipelago, where he would spend eight years in what he later called "the central and controlling incident" of his life. Collecting data on the plant and animal life of the then-remote islands, Wallace slowly formulated ideas of the origins and divergence of species. In 1858, he sent a manuscript containing some of those ideas to Charles Darwin, who incorporated Wallace's work in his theory of natural selection--and who, some critics have charged, appropriated many of Wallace's discoveries as his own.

In this richly illustrated book, historian Gavan Daws and biologist Marty Fujita follow Wallace's trail through the islands of Indonesia, visiting the Moluccas, Bali, Irian Jaya, and other extraordinary treasuries of biological diversity--for, as they point out, although Indonesia comprises only 1.3 percent of the world's surface, it harbors nearly a quarter of the world's species. Their naturalistic travelogue includes a careful discussion of Wallace's ideas and of how he came to hold them through the course of his remarkable body of fieldwork. In doing so, they emphasize the importance of Wallace's contributions to demographics, the theory of island biodiversity, and other tenets of modern biological thought. The result is an unusually instructive, and unusually handsome, book of scientific adventure. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The Indonesian archipelago is a land of timeless natural beauty that in the twenty-first century faces unprecedented environmental degradation. It was also the biological laboratory of Alfred Russel Wallace, who, working independently of Charles Darwin, discovered the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Wallace, who traveled for eight years in the archipelago, was one of the greatest field naturalists and nature writers of his century. No one was more skilled in observing and describing living things. A prodigious collector, he was the first to bring living birds of paradise to the West. And he was a great thinker, a theorist as formidable as any on earth. This magnificent account of a true explorer sweeps from the time of Wallace's nineteenth-century discoveries in biogeography to the looming biodiversity crisis of the twenty-first century--from the exploration of natural wonders to the exploitation of natural resources. The result is a history that powerfully portrays the intricate connections of human life and natural life.
This unique story, published by the University of California Press in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy, is resplendently presented with maps, archival materials, and more than 200 color photographs.
A portion of the proceeds from this book will go toward conservation efforts in Indonesia

Customer Reviews:

Magnificent book!.......2005-07-27

The books goes through all the major parts of Indonesia and shows plenty of well-selected pictures of amazing flora and fauna of the archipelago. Pictures are 70% of the book, but it also provides a good scientific description of how the archipelago formed (10% of the book), explaining how so unique species developed and survived untouched. Around 10% of the book is devoted to the explorers, like Wallace, who first discovered the uniquness of the islands and tried scientifically describe what they found - some early maps of the region and pictures of explorers are presented. Last 10% expresses the concerns about the impact of the modern Indonesia on the nature of the region. Book is published by UC Berkeley/LA, which can only be a further recommendation.

pleasing eye candy and substance.......2002-10-06

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.

a very special and threatened place.......2001-09-18

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.

Tropical splendor and historical significance........2000-10-28

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.

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A Great Classic To Be Read With Reservations
Hugely entertaining
a nineteenth century masterpiece

The Malay Archipelago
Alfred Russel Wallace
Manufacturer: Periplus Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9625936459

Book Description

A work of astounding scope and originality that provides some of the first evidence of the modern theory of evolution. Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, spent nearly a decade cataloging the plant and animal species which inhabited the unique geographical area of the Malay Archipelago, and remains to this day one of the most extensive works of natural history ever written.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Classic To Be Read With Reservations.......2003-11-22

This book deserves credit for giving an incredibly detailed account of Indonesia, especially the Moluccas/Maluku, as seen in the 19th century.
As a travelogue it is a fascinating read.
It WAS also a great scientific work at the time it was written.
However some of its conclusions are now understandably a bit dated (though many others are still valid), while description of the local people, viewed from a position of European superiority, certainly wouldn't find acceptance today. Even failed and highly repressive Dutch colonial policies are given a sympathetic treatment by Wallace.
Unfortunately, having become such a classic, some of the dated conclusions of this book are still being reproduced in new works published about this region nowadays, nearly 150 years later!
So I would say that while this book is certainly worth reading as an account of how things were in Wallace's time, one should never forget when it was written. I gave only 3 stars to remind people of this - otherwise 4 or 5 would be justified.

Hugely entertaining.......2001-07-15

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!

a nineteenth century masterpiece.......2000-10-19

"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.

The Rescue: A Romance of the Shallows (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)

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Rewarding, but not a stand alone statement on life.
Conrad - What more needs to be said.
Lingards Dilemna
Picture of piracy in early years of 19th. cent.

The Rescue: A Romance of the Shallows (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century)
Joseph Conrad
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140180346

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Nefer mind him, shentlemens, he's matt, matt as a Marsh Hase. Dree monats ago I call on board his prig to talk pizness. And he says like dis--'Glear oudt.' 'Vat for?' I say. 'Glear oudt before I shuck you oferboard.' Gott-for-dam! Iss dat the vay to talk pizness? I vant sell him ein liddle case first chop grockery for trade and.

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Customer Reviews:

Rewarding, but not a stand alone statement on life........2007-05-08

The Rescue is another of Joseph Conrad's oft-overlooked later novels. It is significant because Conrad started it early in his writing career, but set it aside until much later, when as some critics have charitably characterized the great writer was in a creative decline, no doubt emboldened by Conrad's own words. Also noteworthy is the prominence of Tom Lingard, a familiar Conrad character from Almayer's Folly and An Outcast of the Islands. If you are a dedicated Conrad reader, then these attributes alone probably justify reading The Rescue. Could The Rescue explain old Tom Lingard's actions in Almayer's Folly? Probably not because the latter was Conrad's first novel, but it is interesting how Lingard's character evolves from the two stories. I have not read An Outcast of the Islands, so I cannot comment on Lingard in that novel.
In any event, there are more compelling reasons for students of Conrad and life in general to read this novel. It tells a tense adventure tale, or rather, a brooding love story set against island adventure (compare this to the magnificent Lord Jim, which tells a powerful, triumphant psychological story against an adventure backdrop). In The Rescue, the reader is treated to a complex male protagonist in Tom Lingard--a man of action who finds his characteristic resolve paralyzed by love's intense passion. Will he end up like the ethereal Captain Jorgenson? The object of his obsession is more inscrutable. Flora, the female character in Chance, seems more realistic than Mrs. Travers, the female in The Rescue, but I am just a man, and like Conrad, I suppose, can never really know what I have no way of experiencing. Somehow I got the impression Conrad felt this way about Mrs. Travers--ultimately unable or perhaps merely unconfident to visualize her completely. She is, like the love story itself, very unsatisfying.
In The Rescue, Conrad raises many questions about love. It was only after I just finished Conrad's "The Planter of Malata" short story (in Within the Tides) that these and other questions illuminated themselves in my thoughts--so much so that I felt compelled to post this review. The Rescue tediously builds to a consuming climax, after which the story abruptly ends in classic Conrad style. Without spoiling the ending, I tease only that it raises the quintessential Conrad themes of isolation and redemption. It does so, though, very obscurely, and only after reading other Conrad novels such as Chance, Lord Jim, Nostromo, Under Western Eyes, and Victory have these themes become apparent. Surprise, there is a complex psychological story here!
"The Planter of Malta," coupled with The Rescue, allows a short cut to discern Conrad's vision of isolation's certain death. Despite both being men of action (compare the thinker Decould in Nostromo and his end), the fates of the male protaganists in The Rescue and "The Planter of Malata" stand in stark contrast, and their differing abilities to deal with the consequences of their love affairs seems to have been determined by their respective social isolation/integration). While love paralyzes even the most resolute actors, at least they are in the game, unlike the thinkers who watch life go by around them. And, when love's cataclysmic confrontation ends in disunion, as it so often does, how will the misanthrope and the humanist each react? The Rescue and "The Planter of Malata" answer these questions, and offer a compelling lesson to act within human society. Make sense? Well, read both stories and I think you'll understand. If nothing else, Conrad will give you a fleeting, but clear glimpse into his philosophy of life.
The Rescue is neither Conrad's best adventure story, nor his best love story. It is long, tedious, and ultimately unsatisfying. Nevertheless, when paired with "The Planter of Malata," or even a few of Conrad's better know and regarded novels, the veil is lifted and attentive students will be rewarded. And, the ending, at least, is somewhat hopeful by COnrad's standards, though it is no fairy tale. For that, you must Chance.

Conrad - What more needs to be said........2007-03-12

As an avid Conrad fan, I found it refreshing to come across a book which I didn't know existed. Not his best work, but well worth reading because Conrad always comes through with descriptive scenery, and interesting character interaction. KLM

Lingards Dilemna.......2001-11-12

The familiar Conrad hero Captain Tom Lingard(Outcast of the Islands) comes to the rescue of an English pleasure yacht that has foundered in the shallows just as war is about to break out between Malay tribes. Tom has war supplies including gunpowder stored in his own boat that has been turned into a fort and Tom's decisions will greatly effect the outcome of the war. Meanwhile though there is the English problem which Tom sees as being just that until he spies on board a lovely woman. Thats enough to distract our hero from his more pressing war time duties. Romantic Tom recalls Lord Jim and is in fact Jims brother, but he is not as complex or as troubled as Jim was so this is more a tale of pure adventure. External events take precedence over internal conflicts and so the adventure can be enjoyed for just that. Not one of Conrads most important works but still it exerts a lot of appeal. Anything by the best writer ever of sea and island tales is worth my time.

Picture of piracy in early years of 19th. cent........1998-11-30

Author writes about true piracy in Caribbean ca. 19th cent. Conrad writes with historical and experiential knowledge.

A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century: Translated, with notes and a preface, by the Hon. Henry E. J. Stanley

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A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar in the Beginning of the Sixteenth Century: Translated, with notes and a preface, by the Hon. Henry E. J. Stanley
Duarte Barbosa
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402195516
Release Date: 2001-08-17

Book Description

Translated by Henry E. J. Stanley. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1866 edition by the Hakluyt Society, London.

Malay Muslims: The History and Challenge of Resurgent Islam in Southeast Asia

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Interesting subject but disappointing book.
It's not a brilliant book, but for other reasons.
Real Bad

Malay Muslims: The History and Challenge of Resurgent Islam in Southeast Asia
Robert Day McAmis
Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802849458

Customer Reviews:

Interesting subject but disappointing book........2005-02-24

After a good short history of the coming of Islam to Malay peoples in what is now Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Philippines there are a few brief bright spots, otherwise the book is disappointing.

The title is misleading when the author's special interest is Christian relations in, especially, the Philippines. "Resurgence" here is pre "terrorism" but is covered superficially after the first useful step of identifying its several strains. The discussion of "Fundamentalism" and roles of modern and traditional intellectuals is curtailed.

Much is superficial: no analysis of the ways in which made converts were made should now omit processes of discourse and adaptation, the central role of places like Acheh and Malacca, the myth and facts behind the Wali Songo of Indonesia. Nor can discussion of resurgence and modern thought miss so much of the very active Islamic debate in Indonesia where the author denies the importance of Islamic parties (Indonesia has the two largest in the entire Islamic world and elected as President the head of one just after this book was published).

Complaining about policies restricting Christian conversion efforts in Malaysia the author condemns policy with no understanding of how British "hands off" policy regarding Islam led to a very great impact from importing Chinese and Indians in considerable numbers effectively handicapping Malays in their own country. Whether or not continuation is legitimate the Malaysian policies have been "affirmative action" to offset this dire aspect of British colonial rule.

Even talking about his forte, religion, McAmis leaves much to be desired. His attempts at good will (welcome and all too rare of late) still leave him terribly judgmental about Islam and he imports older sources calling it "Mohammedanism" (both insulting and misleading) without comment. The importance of practice over belief - orthopraxy over orthodoxy - is neglected. Differences in ideas of original sin, redemption, and the institutional differences as well as the importance of these is missed. This is part of a pattern of being somewhat out of date despite an appended biography that attempts to list more recent sources. There is no "Southeast Asia centric" causation here (a focus since the 60's); one might mistake Dutch conquest as completed nearly two hundred years before this was so; local trade and its continuing important roles are ignored. Much of the more recent work on Indonesia by the likes of Bowen, Hefner, Woodward, Siegel, and others is ignored. The picture of Malaysian Islam is simplistic. Despite some historical notes of Islam's former strength, the discussion of the Philippines is almost as much about Christians and ecumenical attempts without appreciating the Muslim case for autonomy after a long and bitter history of Christian forces.

It's not a brilliant book, but for other reasons........2004-07-09

The above review by Mr Lim is fundamentally wrong. Historically, Malays are one coherent group sharing the same origins, same culture and largely the same history. Any serious research cannot ignore large groups of Malays just because they happen to end up on one side or the other of colonial boundaries.

Malaysia was named Malaya, later Malaysia, by the British and the name has stuck. That does not make large groups of Sumatra Indonesians less Malays. In fact, most of them proudly speak about themselves as Malays and acknowledge that Bahasa Indonesia derives from Bahasa Melayu.

Likewise, 16-18th century kingdoms like that of Johor-Riau can, according to Mr Lim, not be studied, since its territory is now split between three states, Johor (Malaysia), Singapore and Riau (Indonesia). The influential religious capital of this kingdom was on the Riau island itself, and the regicide of 1699 is one of the most important events in Malay history ever.

The very name 'Malay' comes from Sungai Melayu, which was a river system between Jambi and Siak. Namewise, the Orang Laut of this river system were the original 'Malays'.

Real Bad.......2003-03-17

I had looked forward to reading this book. Alas, there is something that is not quite right with it. First of all, McAmis' definition of Malay is quite misleading. His definition is a bit too liberal and too broad. Malay first and foremost in today's terminological use refers to Malays in Malaysia. While some Malays in Malaysia are likely to see Southern Filipinos, Indonesians, etc as their distant kinsmen, they're not very likely to call them Malays. 'Malay' is very strictly defined in legal terms in Malaysia. To broaden this definition as McAmis does is akin to saying that Vietnamese, Thais, Cambodians, Laotians are all 'essentially' Chinese. Apart from that, McAmis' research into Islamism in SEA isn't too illuminating. Judith Nagata has, in her essays, done a much better job. She has written about the dakwah movement and given such details that I am, as a Malaysian, completely amazed by how much she managed to ferret out of these communities.

A Record Of The Buddhist Religion As Practised In India And The Malay Archipelago A.D. 671-695

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A Record Of The Buddhist Religion As Practised In India And The Malay Archipelago A.D. 671-695
I-Tsing , and F. Max Muller
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1430443316

Book Description

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula

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Early Kingdoms of the Indonesian Archipelago and the Malay Peninsula
Paul Michel Monoz
Manufacturer: Editions Didier Millet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9814155675

The Spice Islands Voyage: The Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin's Discovery of Evolution

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Too Much of Wallace, Too Little of The Real Spice Islands!
a pleasant look at a fascinating place & person
A Good Introduction to Wallace and Indonesia
A wonderful, well written journal
An extremly interesting book on an area and an individual

The Spice Islands Voyage: The Quest for Alfred Wallace, the Man Who Shared Darwin's Discovery of Evolution
Timothy Severin
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786705183

Amazon.com

No mere travelogue of palm-fringed beaches and photogenic natives, Tim Severin's The Spice Islands Voyage is a rewarding mix of historical biography, contemporary adventure travel, and firm (but not shrill) warnings for the future of this exotic East Indonesian island group. As he relates his experiences sailing the archipelago in an indigenous prahu, Severin brings to life both the lush, volcano-spawned isles and Alfred Wallace, the 19th-century British naturalist whose myriad travels here provide the blueprint for Severin's own journey. A shy, self-taught naturalist with a gift for intuitive leaps of genius, Wallace authored a groundbreaking essay (conceived and written in the Spice Islands) on natural selection--an essay his idol, Charles Darwin, may have "mined" for his own theory of evolution.

Now, 140 years later, Severin sets forth to see how the clear turquoise waters, teeming reefs, and wildly diverse animal life that entranced and inspired Wallace have fared. Searching out boldly feathered birds of paradise, graceful green sea turtles, blue-capped maleos, and black-crested macaques, he finds reason for both hope and despair. In some regions, a blend of traditional subsistence hunting and human ingenuity has allowed imperiled species to hold their own; in others, shortsighted greed is decimating one of the most varied plant and animal kingdoms on earth.

Well written, generously illustrated, and powerfully evocative, The Spice Islands Voyage opens a window onto a fascinating historical figure and the precarious state of the islands he loved. --Rebecca Gleason

Book Description

This remarkable account of Tim Severin's voyage to the Indonesian Archipelago in search of the island paradise that naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace had explored 140 years before him offers both the thrills of exotic adventure and the marvels of scientific discovery. In a replica of the boat that Wallace himself sailed to the Spice Islands and with Wallace's The Malay Archipelago as his guide, Severin travels to remote shores that still harbor such rare but fast-disappearing creatures as red birds of paradise, flying foxes, and bird-winged butterflies. Not only does he discover the now-endangered flora and fauna that Wallace recorded in his expeditions, he also pays due homage to his intrepid predecessor, the man who provided Darwin with the ideas and principles that changed forever the way we view nature and with him co-authored the theory of evolution.

Customer Reviews:

Too Much of Wallace, Too Little of The Real Spice Islands!.......2004-09-28

I bought this book to read about Maluku (the "Spice Islands"), one of my favourite regions in the World, but instead found myself reading far too much about the author's obsession with Alfred Wallace, whose voyages he is trying to follow.
While he does give a description of places few other recent travelogues cover, these places are always viewed through his expectations of them based on Wallace's book which was written back in the 19th century. He keeps mourning how the Moluccas are not the same today as they were described by Wallace - hey, can one expect any place to remain unchanged for 150 years?
I spent well over a year travelling around these islands myself, and really think they would deserve to be appreciated for what they are now - still a beautiful and fascinating region with a rich natural environment and incredibly friendly people - rather just being treated as a background to raving about a naturalist who visited them a century and a half ago!
A more sympathetic and insightful description of Maluku is Ambon: Island of Spices by Shirley Deane.

a pleasant look at a fascinating place & person.......2003-04-20

I read this book as part of preparation for teaching my ISLAND LIFE course, which examines the role of islands in ecology, conservation and biogeography. Although not, as other reviewers have pointed out, a scientific treatise, Severin's VOYAGE is a very nice way to "get into" both the ecology of an amazing part of the globe (southern Indonesia) and the life and work of the truly amazing Alfred Russell Wallace. While Severin can't refrain from some minor Darwin-bashing (Wallace, among MANY other contributions was the co-discoverer of Evolution by Natural Selection) he is much less nasty than some other popular authors, and (thank goodness) gets on with discussing both Wallace's travels in Malaysia and his own attempt to follow Wallace's path. This makes for both fun story-telling & some fascinating glimpses of a world that many of us will never get to see -tropical islands now all too endangered by the growth of modern "civilization". With his keen interest in boats & boat-building Severin takes us through the construction of the locally built craft that mimics the sort of boat that Wallace might have encountered more than 150 years ago & also discusses regional forms of navigation & seamanship. I passed the book on to my historian father & he was equally enthused. Overall a delightful read that will leave you hungry for more on Wallace & Wallacia

A Good Introduction to Wallace and Indonesia.......2003-02-23

Beginning naturalists like me need enjoyable, readable books such as this to help us learn about our field. I had been interested in Alfred Wallace from the time I first learned of him as the guy who thought up the theory of evolution and survival of the fittest at the same time as Darwin. I wanted more information and looked for a biography of Wallace. Someone suggested The Spice Islands Voyage instead of a traditional biography.

The first time I approached the book, I plunged in craving a biography and didn't get past chapter 3 because I felt bogged down by all Severin's detailed descriptions of boat building. I put the book down for over a year, unsatisfied, still wanting to know Wallace. I finally came back to the book with more realistic expectations, understanding that I would read not only about Wallace, but also about Severin's team's journey to retrace his footsteps. Once I began to read with more patience I was pleased with the book. I found out what I wanted to know about Wallace and got the bonus of learning a lot about Indonesia and sailing.

Severin is a traveling sailor-amateur naturalist-author, who is writing to appeal to a large audience, so I wouldn't expect a scholarly, scientific work. As an introduction to Wallace and Indonesia for someone who has a beginning interest, I feel the book is valuable. Most other complaints about the hardcover edition can probably be attributed to cost cutting measures in publication. Artwork that was almost certainly created in watercolors looses much of its pizzazz when displayed in black and white. Color photos cost less when grouped in the center pages, but are never as effective as they would be when integrated with the text. Multiple and detailed maps are another expense. College students often complain about the cost of textbooks for some of these very reasons. This is not a textbook, so I feel the readers should be willing to make allowances for cost.

It is clear that Severin is a fan of Wallace and aims to give him more recognition. To achieve this goal he does downplay Darwin a tad bit overmuch. To a naturalist reader already grounded in Darwin, this is no harm. To a reader from that wider audience approaching with perhaps a sailing interest in Indonesia, reading about Darwin for the first time, this may be a slightly unfair depiction. However I would rate the danger as only minimal. I was intrigued by Wallace when I began reading, and came away a full-fledged fan. I definitely recommend this book.

A wonderful, well written journal.......2002-02-21

I thought this book kept it's promise. It was part scientific, part historical, part travelogue. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. I look forward to reading other books by Tim Severin. He has a deft way of braiding in adventure with history. He obviously spends a lot of time researching his material.

An extremly interesting book on an area and an individual.......1999-10-22

An extremly interesting review of the travels and work of Alfred Wallace who doesn't seem to have been given credit along with Darwin.Mr Severin seems to be adept in building historic boats and reconstructing the voyages. I found the pictures muddy and the maps not detailed enough.

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The Malay Archipelago
Alfred Russel Wallace
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1419171380

Book Description

But the difficulty was how to get this census. He could not go himself into every village and every house, and count all the people; and if he ordered it to be done by the regular officers they would quickly understand what it was for, and the census would be sure to agree exactly with the quantity of rice he got last year. It was evident therefore that to answer his purpose no one must suspect why the census was taken; and to make sure of this, no one must know that there was any census taken at all.

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Where Worlds Collide: The Wallace Line (Comstock Book)

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Amateurish Overview with Horrendous Factual Errors
A clarion call for the biogeography of the Oriental Realm
Mesmerizing

Where Worlds Collide: The Wallace Line (Comstock Book)
Penny Van Oosterzee
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0801484979

Book Description

Alfred Russel Wallace, the father of biogeography, discovered the flora and fauna of the South East Asian islands and the extraordinary way in which they are geographically distinct. In a lively historical narrative, Penny van Oosterzee tells the story of his achievement. His legacy is the Wallace Line, a faunal barrier separating the Asian from the Australian: monkeys from kangaroos, weaver birds from cockatoos, and pheasants from parrots. This invisible boundary and the difference between the species it divides catalyzed Wallace's theory of evolution and prodded Darwin to articulate his own theory.

In Where Worlds Collide, van Oosterzee follows Wallace's journeys through the islands of South East Asia. She draws on Wallace's natural history travelogue, The Malay Archipelago, a book he wrote after spending the years from 1854 to 1862 in Malaysia, Indonesia, and New Guinea. Explaining his theory and how it has been interpreted by biologists, van Oosterzee also re-creates Wallace's sense of excitement with his discoveries. She devotes a chapter to the diversity of butterfly wing patterns, for example, because Wallace was so enamored of them.

Customer Reviews:

Amateurish Overview with Horrendous Factual Errors.......2004-05-18

This is yet another book that was written to cash in on the name Wallace.
It is a basic, general overview of the fauna, flora and environment of the Indo-Malayan archipelago, relying heavily on quotes from Wallace's classic "The Malay Archipelago".
If you have never read anything better, you may find it interesting.

However, if you already know a little bit about this region, not to mention if you have been there yourself, several outrageous factual errors will hit the eye.
These are most obvious in the Epilogue, where the author enthusiastically describes her very limited "field-experience" in this region, and tries to add her own 2 cents' to the material gathered from books by others.
Reading that chapter, it also becomes obvious that her only first-hand experience in this region was taking a short cruise trip around the Moluccas. She barely stops even at those islands where her ship passed, yet is quick to make far-reaching conclusions.

On page 219:
"On the nearby Kai islands... my heart sank as I saw that coarse grass now dominates the hills that Wallace desribed as inexpressibly beautiful... No-one will know what biological treasures existed there."
Well, had she bothered to take a short boat trip from Tual, the capital of the Kai Islands, to the larger island of Kai Besar, she would have found forest and fauna largely intact. But if one only visits the major town on a smaller isle...

On page 218:
"Seram is perhaps the only place in South-East Asia where you can walk continuously through undisturbed lowland forest..."
For all the qualities of the relatively small island of Seram, there are far greater expanses of rainforest on the great islands of Sumatra, Borneo, etc.

On page 220, she claims:
"In Sarawak, where Wallace 'collected his Orang-utans, no Orang-Utans exist any more."
Oh dear.
The orangutan is probably the single best-documented species in the entire region, and an estimated thousand of them are still found in Sarawak's Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Batang Ai National Park (which I have visited myself). Being so far off the mark with such a well-known species will leave you wondering how correct the rest of her 'information' is...

Reading all this nonsense, I started looking for references to the qualifications of the author in the book.
I found no reference to any...

A clarion call for the biogeography of the Oriental Realm.......2000-12-02

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.

Mesmerizing.......2000-02-11

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.

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