In 1831, young adventurer and nature enthusiast Charles Darwin set sail on a remarkable five-year voyage that changed the study of biology forever. In this fascinating new book, award-winning author Ruth Ashby shares the story of Darwin s famous journey aboard the British navy ship, the Beagle , which led to the development of his theories of evolution and natural selection. Ashby s lively account follows the naturalist s exciting trip around the world through seasickness, a life-threatening illness, and even an earthquake as he explores South America, the Cape Verde Islands, Tahiti, and the Galapagos Islands. During his travels, Darwin meets indigenous peoples and carefully collects and catalogs plants, fossils, birds, mammals, and insects. Darwin s observations of the distribution and diversity of plant and animal life ultimately leads to the development of his theories on evolution and the publication of ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES in 1859.

Readers will be inspired by Darwin s transformation from talented but mediocre schoolboy into a remarkable scientist as they read about the revolutionary voyage that forever changed the world of biology.