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9781918652048

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What a story! Liz Laidler gives us a richly detailed account of Benjamin Bynoe's travels on the three ground-breaking voyages of HMS Beagle-and on a few convict ships bound for Australia as well. Born in Barbados and trained as a naval surgeon in England, Bynoe accompanied Charles Darwin through the Galapagos Islands and saw the theory of evolution emerge later in the century. More than this, however, he grappled valiantly with the diseases and dangers of Britain's ocean empire. Full of fascinating insights, this is the first biography of Bynoe to link his naval career with personal friendships and scientific exploration. Prof. Emer. Janet Browne, author of Charles Darwin: Voyaging Dr. Benjamin Bynoe's contributions to science have been for too long overlooked. After training in medicine, Bynoe joined the Royal Navy and sailed with Charles Darwin aboard HMS Beagle, becoming an unseen but vital presence on that historic voyage. In a compelling, hard-to-put-down book, his descendant, Liz Laidler, brings the story of this ""invisible"" scientist vividly to life. Peter Burton, Co-editor, BajanThings Laidler should be congratulated for giving Bynoe his rightful recognition as a fine surgeon and one of the most significant officers throughout the Beagle's many adventures. Dr. Gordon Chancellor, Associate Editor of Darwin Online I enjoyed this book with diverse and interesting accounts of travel and contemporary late Georgian and later life, also medicine and adventure as experienced by Surgeon Bynoe. The style and content is very much to my liking and Dr Laidler has handled the surgical material well. Michael Crumplin, ret. Consultant Surgeon, surgical historian and Hon. Curator, Royal College of Surgeons of England This splendid biography throws light not only on the almost invisible surgeonnaturalist, Dr. Benjamin Bynoe, and his close and valuable relationship with Darwin, but on the context of his life, and his emergence from the tiny British colony, Barbados, one of their many illustrious doctors and scientists over the centuries. Prof. Emer. Sir Henry Fraser, Medical Sciences, UWI; Founder and Director of the Chronic Disease Research Centre, Barbados I am most impressed, to say the least. A magnificent book which I commend to others to read! Prof. Emer. Simon Keynes, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge University, and one of Darwin's great-great grandsons Both Captain Fitzroy and Charles Darwin had a high opinion of Bynoe's medical and scientific skills He made important contributions to science and deserves better than the obscurity into which he has sunk. This book will help to restore his reputation. The illustrations are well chosen and the comprehensive lists of references and footnotes do not upset the narrative flow, making the book suitable for the general reader. Dr. Richard Marsh, Hakluyt Society I did not think that so much about Bynoe could be recovered. Prof. David McLean, Professor of History, King's College, London

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Liz Laidler, like Benjamin Bynoe, was born and brought up Barbados. Her mother was a Bynoe, a family that laid its roots on the island in 1667. She came to England as a student in 1970 and her Ph.D. on the behavioural ecology of giant otters in Guyana was underpinned by Darwinian theory.She went on to produce wildlife documentaries with her husband, Keith Laidler. Their first film, the award-winning 'Pandas Aren't Always Cuddly', was narrated by Sir David Attenborough and broadcast on BBC's 'Wildlife On One'.Liz is the author of 'Otters in Britain' (David and Charles), and co-author of 'The River Wolf' (Allen and Unwin), 'Pandas' (BBC), and 'China's Threatened Wildlife' (Blanford). She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

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