Thomson, Keith Stewart

Much has been written about Charles Darwin's excursions into South American waters aboard the HMS Beagle. But surprisingly little is known about the famous ship itself. Keith Thomson has created a biography of the ship - her construction, her voyages and even her final resting place.

As 18th and 19th century English clerics & naturalists observed nature & wondered about the creation & age of the planet, questions about God & the Bible arose. This book brings to life their dilemmas, & portrays intellectuals struggling with their belief systems in an age of revolutionary science.

Thomson's book is the first to inquire into the range of influences and ideas, the mentors and rivals, and the formal and informal education that shaped Charles Darwin and prepared him for his remarkable career of scientific achievement.