Between Man and Beast
An Unlikely Explorer, the Evolution Debates, and the African Adventure That Took the Victorian World by Storm
New York : Doubleday, [2013]
Format: Book
Edition: First edition.
Description: xiv, 331 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
The unbelievably riveting adventure of an unlikely young explorer who emerged from the jungles of Africa with evidence of a mysterious, still mythical beast--the gorilla--only to stumble straight into the center of the biggest debate of the day: Darwin's theory of evolution
In 1856 Paul Du Chaillu marched into the equatorial wilderness of West Africa determined to bag an animal that, according to legend, was nothing short of a monster. When he emerged three years later, the summation of his efforts only hinted at what he'd experienced in one of the most dangerous regions on earth. Armed with an astonishing collection of zoological specimens, Du Chaillu leapt from the physical challenges of the jungle straight into the center of the biggest issues of the time--the evolution debate, racial discourse, the growth of Christian fundamentalism--and helped push each to unprecedented intensities. He experienced instant celebrity, but with that fame came whispers--about his past, his credibility, and his very identity--which would haunt the young man. Grand in scope, immediate in detail, and propulsively readable, Between Man and Beast brilliantly combines Du Chaillu's personal journey with the epic tale of a world hovering on the sharp edge of transformation.
In 1856 Paul Du Chaillu marched into the equatorial wilderness of West Africa determined to bag an animal that, according to legend, was nothing short of a monster. When he emerged three years later, the summation of his efforts only hinted at what he'd experienced in one of the most dangerous regions on earth. Armed with an astonishing collection of zoological specimens, Du Chaillu leapt from the physical challenges of the jungle straight into the center of the biggest issues of the time--the evolution debate, racial discourse, the growth of Christian fundamentalism--and helped push each to unprecedented intensities. He experienced instant celebrity, but with that fame came whispers--about his past, his credibility, and his very identity--which would haunt the young man. Grand in scope, immediate in detail, and propulsively readable, Between Man and Beast brilliantly combines Du Chaillu's personal journey with the epic tale of a world hovering on the sharp edge of transformation.
Contents:
Part one -- Destiny -- A new obsession -- Hanno's wake -- Drawing lines -- American dreams -- To slide into brutish immorality -- An awkward homecoming -- "Unfriends" -- Fever dreams -- Between men and apes -- Maps and legends -- A lion in London -- The man-eaters -- D.O.A -- Spirit of the damned -- Origins -- In the city of wonders -- Fighting words -- The boulevard of broken dreams -- Part two -- The inner circle -- The unveiling -- The great white hunter -- Into the whirlwind -- Three motives -- The gorilla war -- The squire's gambit -- The gorilla in the pulpit -- Mrs. Grundy & the cannibal club -- "Evidence of a spurious origin" -- Shadows of the past -- Black & white -- The imposters -- Shortcuts to glory -- The wager -- Part three -- The re-invention -- Damaged goods -- The boldest venture -- The armies of the plague -- Running for their lives -- The jury of his peers -- Accidental victories -- The explorer -- No man's land.
Subjects:
Du Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni), 1835-1903.
Explorers -- Gabon.
Hunters -- Gabon.
Gorilla.
Gabon -- Description and travel.
Du Chaillu, Paul B. (Paul Belloni), 1835-1903.
Explorers -- Gabon.
Hunters -- Gabon.
Gorilla.
Gabon -- Description and travel.
ISBN:
9780385534222
Availability | |||
---|---|---|---|
Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
TRAVEL Africa Ree | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | In |
More Formats
Includes bibliographical references (pages 305-314) and index.