---
product_id: 51040082
title: "The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics)"
price: "A$37"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/51040082-the-voyage-of-the-beagle-charles-darwins-journal-of-researches
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# 5-year global voyage insights Classic abridged edition Detailed natural observations The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics)

**Price:** A$37
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌿 Unlock the world through Darwin’s eyes — where science meets adventure!

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- **What is this?** The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics)
- **How much does it cost?** A$37 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/51040082-the-voyage-of-the-beagle-charles-darwins-journal-of-researches)

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## Key Features

- • **Highly Rated & Respected:** Join thousands of readers who gave it a 4.6-star rating for its captivating narrative.
- • **Vivid, Immersive Travelogue:** Travel alongside Darwin with crystal-clear descriptions of landscapes, cultures, and natural wonders.
- • **Expertly Curated Penguin Classic:** A trusted, abridged edition that balances readability with scholarly value.
- • **Journey Through Darwin’s Formative Years:** Experience the young scientist’s epic 5-year expedition that shaped modern biology.
- • **A Primary Source for Intellectual Evolution:** Explore Darwin’s early thoughts before the theory of evolution took shape.

## Overview

The Voyage of the Beagle is an abridged Penguin Classics edition of Charles Darwin’s journal chronicling his five-year global expedition. It offers vivid, detailed observations of flora, fauna, geology, and indigenous cultures, capturing the young Darwin’s intellectual and physical journey before his groundbreaking theory of evolution. Highly rated and celebrated for its engaging prose, this travelogue is a must-read primary source for understanding the origins of modern biology.

## Description

The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics) : Darwin, Charles, Browne, Janet, Neve, Michael: desertcart.co.uk: Books

Review: Portrait of the scientist as a young man - This an abridged edition of Charles Darwin's journal of researches first published in 1845. Darwin as we know spent five formative years voyaging around the globe on HMS Beagle - although of those five years, only 18 months was spent at sea. Hence the book mostly details his experiences on land, being a detailed account of his observations of fauna, flora and geology of the lands he visited, combined with vivid observations of the peoples he met along the way. There is barely (in this edition at any rate) any description of what life was like on-board HMS Beagle itself and no remarks are recorded about his impressions of Captain Fitzroy. This isn't the book in which the theory of evolution is developed. At this stage, he is aware that species are not immutable but the description of the finches' beaks barely gets a few sentences in one paragraph. The penny was not to drop till much later. He also praises the efforts of missionaries in places like Tahiti and New Zealand. His break with Christianity has not come yet. The book is a compilation of the recollections of a young man, whose personality and intellectual convictions are yet to be defined. It is also the picture of Darwin in his prime, as a physically vigorous young man of action, not the sickly recluse of Downe House that he was to become. He scales mountains in the Andes, journeys with gauchos in Argentina, encounters the indigenous people of Patagonia, Tahiti and New Zealand, and is caught in a catastrophic earthquake in Chile. Occasionally the discussion strays into technical questions about the composition of rocks and unless you have some grounding in geology then you are likely to struggle with these (mostly brief) passages. But overall the book is readable and entertaining and you feel you are seeing the world through Darwin's eyes (and his prejudices, inevitably). For a Victorian era travelogue, it is well written, and some of the descriptions of the places he visits are crystal sharp, so much so they will stay in your recollection for some time after you have finished reading the book. To take an example, who that has travelled will not be stirred to this passage, a vivid description of his last look at a scene in the Azores before sailing back to England to end the voyage: `In my last walk, I stopped again to gaze on these beauties, and endeavoured to fix forever in my mind an impression, which at the time I knew, sooner or later must fail. The form of the orange tree, the coconut, the palm, the mango, the tree-fern, the banana, will remain clear and separate; but the thousand beauties which these into one perfect scene must fade away; yet they will leave, like a tale heard in childhood, a picture full of indistinct, but most beautiful figures (p.368)' For those wishing to become acquainted with the life and thought of Charles Darwin, this is an excellent primary source and I highly recommend it.
Review: Darwin has an amazing eye for the killer details and the fascinating anecdote - A tremendously interesting travelogue, Darwin has an amazing eye for the killer details and the fascinating anecdote, the breath and depth of his knowledge is stunning and all conveyed in a marvelously vibrant and evocative prose style.

## Features

- New Store Stock

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 64,321 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 243 in Travel Writing (Books) 389 in Biology (Books) 3,042 in Biographies & Memoirs (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 287 Reviews |

## Images

![The Voyage of the Beagle: Charles Darwin's Journal of Researches (Penguin Classics) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91eVCiYFGQL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Portrait of the scientist as a young man
*by F***D on 16 December 2012*

This an abridged edition of Charles Darwin's journal of researches first published in 1845. Darwin as we know spent five formative years voyaging around the globe on HMS Beagle - although of those five years, only 18 months was spent at sea. Hence the book mostly details his experiences on land, being a detailed account of his observations of fauna, flora and geology of the lands he visited, combined with vivid observations of the peoples he met along the way. There is barely (in this edition at any rate) any description of what life was like on-board HMS Beagle itself and no remarks are recorded about his impressions of Captain Fitzroy. This isn't the book in which the theory of evolution is developed. At this stage, he is aware that species are not immutable but the description of the finches' beaks barely gets a few sentences in one paragraph. The penny was not to drop till much later. He also praises the efforts of missionaries in places like Tahiti and New Zealand. His break with Christianity has not come yet. The book is a compilation of the recollections of a young man, whose personality and intellectual convictions are yet to be defined. It is also the picture of Darwin in his prime, as a physically vigorous young man of action, not the sickly recluse of Downe House that he was to become. He scales mountains in the Andes, journeys with gauchos in Argentina, encounters the indigenous people of Patagonia, Tahiti and New Zealand, and is caught in a catastrophic earthquake in Chile. Occasionally the discussion strays into technical questions about the composition of rocks and unless you have some grounding in geology then you are likely to struggle with these (mostly brief) passages. But overall the book is readable and entertaining and you feel you are seeing the world through Darwin's eyes (and his prejudices, inevitably). For a Victorian era travelogue, it is well written, and some of the descriptions of the places he visits are crystal sharp, so much so they will stay in your recollection for some time after you have finished reading the book. To take an example, who that has travelled will not be stirred to this passage, a vivid description of his last look at a scene in the Azores before sailing back to England to end the voyage: `In my last walk, I stopped again to gaze on these beauties, and endeavoured to fix forever in my mind an impression, which at the time I knew, sooner or later must fail. The form of the orange tree, the coconut, the palm, the mango, the tree-fern, the banana, will remain clear and separate; but the thousand beauties which these into one perfect scene must fade away; yet they will leave, like a tale heard in childhood, a picture full of indistinct, but most beautiful figures (p.368)' For those wishing to become acquainted with the life and thought of Charles Darwin, this is an excellent primary source and I highly recommend it.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Darwin has an amazing eye for the killer details and the fascinating anecdote
*by L***Y on 28 November 2015*

A tremendously interesting travelogue, Darwin has an amazing eye for the killer details and the fascinating anecdote, the breath and depth of his knowledge is stunning and all conveyed in a marvelously vibrant and evocative prose style.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ultimate gap year blog has freshness and vitality
*by H***W on 19 October 2008*

It's a familiar story. Med-school drop-out Charles Darwin is being pestered by his dad to settle down and get a proper job. Meanwhile, Darwin Jnr., having finally got a degree (of sorts), hangs around Cambridge showing every sign of becoming a perpetual student. Then in 1831, he gets the opportunity to join HMS Beagle for the trip of a lifetime. So, having persuaded dad to bankroll him, he sets off on something between a scientific Grand Tour and an extended gap year. Blogging hasn't been invented, so he keeps a journal. If you're nervous about finding yourself all at sea in stodgy early 19th century scientific prose; don't worry. The writing has a real freshness and vitality. Darwin is fascinated by everything; a keen observer with a real gift for describing everything he sees and everyone he meets. It took me a couple of chapters to get the hang of Darwin's style, but after that I was hooked. The Penguin edition is based on the earliest published version and the text has been cut to two-thirds of its original length, reducing it to the length of a standard paperback. Short chapters and diary-style entries break the text up into chunks suitable for reading on the bus or train. Extras include a copy of the Admiralty's official instructions for the voyage which include, amongst other things, invectives against over-artistic mapmakers and advice on avoiding trouble with native populations. There's also a good map, a who's who of explorers and an excellent introduction that puts the voyage into its historical context. A glossary would have been welcome as would English translations of Darwin's occasional excursions into French or Latin. This edition is aimed at general readers who may be slightly wary about tackling Darwin and I would say that it pretty much achieves its objective. Other editions may have a fuller text, colour illustrations or other additional material. Darwin 5 stars : Penguin 3+ stars : 4 stars overall

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*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-02-01*