Mr. Darwin's Shooter

Mr. Darwin's Shooter by Roger McDonald (Anchor £6.99 415 pp)
Reviewed by Peter Astwood

This novel, based on the lives of real people, tells the story of one member of the team that sailed on the Beagle.

The narrator, Syms Covington, helped Darwin collect specimens from the various places they visited.

While it is a work of fiction it nevertheless conjures up the conditions on board a Victorian ship. It also explains the problems encountered by Darwin and his team. In the latter part of the book it describes the impact of the publication of The Origin of Species on the characters in the book. A good read.