Wonderful account of Wallace's travels through South East Asia, detailing the amazing sights, sounds & smells that he saw as he collected as many animal specimens as he & his hired helpers could shoot, including several Orang Utans. Obviously any account of the natural world as it was over a century ago now feels like a lost world but the sense of adventure & wonder is timeless, & the region's remoteness may ensure that much of what Wallace saw is still there even now. For me the highlights were the chapters describing the notorious Orang hunting & Wallace's marathon boat (more like a raft!) trip out across the Banda Sea to the remoter parts of the archipelago near Papua New Guinea in search of birds of paradise. As well as the natural wonder detailed Wallace's skill, intellect, resourcefulness & fortitude in the face of great travails & ill health come through vividly to make this one of the all-time great reads about one of science's greats.
5/5
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