Alfred Russel WallaceCritiques

Alfred Russel Wallace's 1869 account of his travels and observations in what is today Indonesia and that occurred mostly in 1858, the year that he and Darwin published on the Theory of Evolution. Wallace describes his adventures visiting the many islands in the archipelago and his constant search for and preparation of bird and insect specimens that he sent back to England and with which he supported himself. At one point he comments that he is the only white person residing on the thousand-mile-long island of New Guinea, where he is primarily interested in finding new examples of the Bird of Paradise. His description of hunting the Orang-Utan is especially disturbing in light of its recent endangerment. Wallace discusses the biogeography of the archipelago at length including the faunal divide that would later be called the Wallace Line. He also discusses the people of the islands at length, frequently comparing the Malay and Papuan "races" and their degrees of civilization or barbarity. This Victorian view of humanity is sometimes trying, although Wallace makes several comments admiring the noble savages around him who live in peace and harmony without any of the oppressive social structures that are necessary at home. (Later in life he became a social activist supporting women's suffrage and opposing eugenics, the destruction of the environment by human activity, and militarism.) The Folio Society edition of this book has beautiful color plates with drawings by the author and some photographs.

This started off SO interesting, Wallace discussing the dispersal of different species based on TIME the island had been separate from mainland...I was hooked.
Then Ch 2 where he embarks on an orang utan hunt. Now I try not to be prissy. OK I'm a veggie but I get he wanted to bring one or two samples home to show his findings... But as it developed into a fullscale hunting expedition, it felt rather repuslive and I abandoned it...

Excellent book! The introduction is equally good and valuable. The sad part about this is that this is hardly an annotated volume. Once the book starts, the notes are virtually worthless in any meaningful way. The editor (Wyhe) could have done a fabulous job explaining dozens upon dozens of interesting complications and situations. Instead, his interests seem to lie in giving us the Latin name of birds, mammals, and insects. I suppose this is what he means by 'annotated' but tis not my understanding of the word.
I read this while living and working with orangutans in Sumatra. The insight provided here has been hugely beneficial, to say the very least. I'm pondering keeping it around for a second read as I travel more thru the islands....½

Alfred Russel Wallace was a co-discoverer with Darwin of evolution through natural selection. This book is his account of his travels collecting specimens of animals, birds and insects in what is now Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.

I have to admit my eyes did glaze over from time to time at the descriptions of the birds and beetles, but his actual travels and his description of the people and societies he met were fascinating.

Always fun to return to...

Single volume revised edition. The two volume edition was published in 1905. A compelling account of his life by this remarkable man.

The great account of travel and exploration in Malaya through a vanished world of jungle, tigers on the island of Singapore, and attacking Oran-utans. Wallace sweated his way through it all writing one of the most important and engaging of all 19th century scientific travel books.

Racked with fever, virtually broke and earning a precarious living through sending back to London the plumes of beautiful birds, Wallace (1823-1913) ultimately became one of the most heroic and admirable of all scientist-explorers. Whether living with Hill Dyaks or hunting Orang-Utans or sailing on a junk to the unbelievably remote Aru islands, Wallace opens our eyes to a now long vanished world.

I have at least two other editions from various
publishers in Bali. This is a redesigned Periplus
quality paperback.