Meanderings of a Monkey Juggler

I had occasion to buy some books whilst waiting at Gatwick en-route to Bg (as usual).  I managed to read one and most of another.  I'm looking forward to the third too.

First was "Margrave of the Marshes", John Peel's autobiography which was finished by his wife and children.  I'm a great fan of his as you well know and the book didn't disappoint me at all.  His writing is of the same standard as his broadcasting although at no point did he write any pages at the wrong speed.  His wife (all the extra stuff is written as if she's writing it, although we know that the whole family had a hand in it) manages to carry on the style perfectly well.  The stories are funny and moving but you're never feeling sorry for him because he never feels sorry for himself.  Well worth a read (especially as Amazon have got it so cheap at the mo).

I'm 2/3rds of the way through "James Cook: The Journals" from Penguin Classics.  This is a stunning work where Captain Cook's journals (from his 3 voyages in the 1700's) have been condensed and annotated for the modern reader.  Most of what's excised is tedious navigational detail so it leaves his observations about the discoveries he and his ships come across.  It reads better than many a yarn and it's all about real events.  Wow!  He comes across as a thoroughly decent chap too and he seems to want to introduce natives to trade and civilisation rather than conquering them.  We know this wasn't really the plan of his superiors though.  In one memorable entry he discusses the aboriginals of Australia.  He starts by describing them as the "most wretched creatures" he's ever come across.  But follows this by writing that they are probably the happiest people he's ever met because they "want for nothing" and have everything they need to live in peace and to the level of comfort that they want.  He has a level of insight that you might not expect in a empire builder.  A wonderful book if you like historical tracts.  I want more like this.  How about some documents about or by Wellington and others?

I haven't started the 3rd book yet but it's "The Voyage of the Beagle" by Charles Darwin.  I'm intrigued by Darwin and this should be a good one.  It's a shame "On the Origin of the Species" wasn't in the shop at the time though, I'd of preferred that,

Have fun.