A review by gentlemanjeff
Between Man and Beast: An Unlikely Explorer, the Evolution Debates, and the African Adventure That Took the Victorian World by Storm by Monte Reel

4.0

"The Posthumous Revenge of a Forgotten Explorer" is the name of just one of the many essays and writings vindicating the work of Paul du Chaillu, whose impact on naturalism and science has been severely underappreciated. Monte Reel renders historical events in vivid, impactful prose describing connections with and influences on luminaries including Humboldt, Audubon, Darwin, PT Barnum, Charles Dickens, JM Barrie, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Arthur Conan Doyle and Abraham Lincoln. The author describes the explorer's ill-fated journeys with an immediacy and personal investment that makes the underlying adventure thrilling, in addition to the fascinating historical context he provides. His respect and appreciation for indigenous culture, history, environment and wildlife are apparent throughout. If you're looking for an author who can illuminate a historical account, look no further. Pull on your wellies and join Paul du Chaillu Between Man and Beast. If you enjoy this book, Reel's study of tribal life in the Amazon, The Last of the Tribe is essential reading.