This book offers a vivid and accessible retelling of Charles Darwin’s historic voyage aboard HMS Beagle, casting light on one of the most pivotal scientific journeys in history.
But this is more than just a recount of Darwin’s nearly five-year journey. It’s also about Captain Robert Fitzroy, his life during and after the voyage and how each man tries to find their place in the world.
Christian focuses on the young Darwin’s transformation – from an untested naturalist into the man who would go on to revolutionise biology. Darwin grappled with the moral and philosophical implications of what he observed, from the fossils of South America to the mockingbirds of the Galápagos. Christian provides us context so we can appreciate the social, political, religious and scientific environment of the time.
While Darwin is feted after this voyage, Captain Fitzroy finds little success. He is appointed as the Governor of New Zealand where he takes the unorthodox view that the Māori’s actually own the land – resulting in his removal by the Colonial Office. While Darwin’s theory of evolution is being debated, Fitzroy is given the position of Meteorological Statist to the Board of Trade. In this position Fitzroy begins what will be the modern equivalent of meteorology department, issuing weather warnings and collecting data to try and for the first time predict the weather.
In Darwin on the Beagle Christian infuses the narrative with rich detail, personal reflection, and a storyteller’s flair that brings the 19th-century world to life. He deftly integrates excerpts from Darwin’s and Fitzroy’s own journals and correspondence, grounding the storytelling in primary sources while maintaining a modern, readable tone.
Reviewed by Anthony Llewellyn-Evans
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Harrison Christian is a journalist and author from Auckland, New Zealand. His writing has appeared in The Australian Financial Review, New Zealand Geographic, The Sunday Star-Times and Metro Magazine, among other outlets.
He is the author of four acclaimed nonfiction books with Ultimo Press: Men Without Country (2021), Should We Fall to Ruin (2022), Terra Nova (2024), and Darwin on the Beagle (2025).
Christian is a direct descendant of the Bounty mutineer Fletcher Christian.
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