Peter Raby

I read this biography of Wallace while simultaneously reading Wallace's Malay Archipelago. At first, I thought the two were redundant and I was about to abandon the Raby volume, but after a slow start, he begins to add other information to Wallace's accounts of his travels and studies which definitely enrich the reading experience. For example, while Wallace may have written of an incident in Malay Archipelago, Raby will recount parts of a letter he may have written to his mother or brother or friend about the same incident that are far more revealing into his true thoughts. This is what good biography is all about: digging beyond the person's 'official life' into the behind-the-scenes motivations, thoughts, ruminations, fears, etc. So buy the Raby book and download the free Malay Archipelago. Next up is Paul Sochaczewski's An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles: Campfire Conversations with Alfred Russel Wallace on People and Nature Based on CommonTravel in the Malay Archipelago.… (meer)