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Ecuador & the Galapagos

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXGPS29. Buy these 4 items as a set for $83 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Galapagos, A Natural History

Galapagos, A Natural History

by Michael H. Jackson

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 316 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

This comprehensive guide to the natural history of the Galapagos is practically mandatory reading, the single best introduction to the geology and climate, habitats, plants, birds, animals, ecology and evolution. (GPS03, $34.95)

Galapagos, World's End

Galapagos, World's End

by William Beebe

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1988
  • PAPER
  • 442 PAGES

This wry, wonderfully evocative account of a 1924 scientific expedition includes an excellent chapter on the human history of the Galapagos. (GPS01, $18.95)

Voyage of the Beagle

Voyage of the Beagle

by Charles Darwin

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 468 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER
  • FAVORITE

The wide-eyed tale of a young man on a five-year voyage that changed his life -- and our way of thinking about the world. First published in 1839, it's still a marvelous introduction to the wildlife, nature and allure of South America. (GPS02, $12.95)

Galapagos Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide

Galapagos Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide

by David Horwell | Pete Oxford

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 156 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

With chapters on visitor sites, history, conservation and habitats, this compact photographic guide introduces birds, reptiles, marine and other life of the archipelago. (GPS38, $22.99)

 
Insight Guide Ecuador and Galapagos

Insight Guide Ecuador and Galapagos


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 368 PAGES

Presenting the natural history, politics, culture, wildlife and attractions of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with style and authority. Contributors include Tui de Roy (Galapagos photography), Lynn Meisch (arts, crafts and customs) and Rob Rachoweicki (Oriente/Amazon). (EDR01, $22.99)

Rough Guide Ecuador

Rough Guide Ecuador


by Harry Ades | Melissa Graham

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 524 PAGES

A compact comprehensive guide to travel in Ecuador, including Quito, the Oriente and Galapagos with extensive listings, dozens of sketch maps, and a brief overview of culture, nature and history. (EDR06, $24.99)

Ecuador in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture

Ecuador in Focus, A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture


by Wilma Roos | Omer van Renterghem

  • HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 100 PAGES

This slim guide provides a lively overview of Ecuador's history, cultural heritage and political, environmental and economic challenges. (EDR02, $12.95)

Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca

Art of the Andes, from Chavin to Inca


by Rebecca Stone-Miller

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

This authoritative and concise illustrated survey of Andean art and architecture covers not only Machu Picchu and additional Inca monuments, but also Chan Chan, Nasca and other archaeological sites and cultures. (PRU05, $19.95)

Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent

Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent


by Alexander von Humboldt

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 310 PAGES

This is the book that Darwin took on his voyage around the world -- a classic account of naturalist and explorer Humboldt's 18th-century discoveries in South America. (SAM08, $17.00)

The Panama Hat Trail

The Panama Hat Trail


by Tom Miller

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

An entertaining and insightful social history of Ecuador -- as told through its hat-making history. It's a classic example of travel writing, and one of the best things written on Ecuador. (EDR15, $14.00)

Galapagos, A Novel

Galapagos, A Novel


by Kurt Vonnegut

  • LITERATURE
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 283 PAGES

In this madcap novel, a classic, Vonnegut looks back from the future (alas, the human race has been wiped out except for a small group stranded in the Galapagos) on the Nature Cruise of the Century. (GPS10, $15.00)

Piazza Tales

Piazza Tales


by Herman Melville

  • LITERATURE
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 275 PAGES

Melville's experiences as a whaler informed not only his great novel, Moby Dick, but "The Encantadas," one of the outstanding tales found in this collection. These short stories on the Galapagos Islands capture the volcanic nature of this bewitched paradise. (GPS36, $18.00)

The Evolution of Jane

The Evolution of Jane


by Cathleen Schine

  • LITERATURE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

Setting her novel on a Galapagos cruise, Schine mixes psychological insight and travel with impressive musings on Darwin and modern evolutionary theory in this fast-paced tale. (GPS30, $14.95)

The Far Side of the World

The Far Side of the World


by Patrick O'Brian

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 366 PAGES

O'Brian takes readers on an adventure around Cape Horn in this enthralling Aubrey and Maturin tale, featuring evocative descriptions of the wildlife of Patagonia and Galapagos and a vivid portrait of Nelson's British Navy. (SAM01, $14.95)

Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches

Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches


by Peter R. Grant | Jonathan Weiner

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 492 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

This is a scholarly, readable account by Peter Grant, who has devoted his life's work to the evolution and ecology of these curious Galapagos birds. (GPS44, $41.00)

Evolution's Workshop

Evolution's Workshop


by Edward J. Larson

  • SCIENCE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

A vivid history of the Galapagos and the role of the islands as a crucible of evolutionary ideas, written by a Pulitzer Prize winner. Along with Darwin, it covers the discovery of the islands, the visits of Hancock and Beebe, the influence of the United States during WWII and the establishment of the national park. (GPS50, $16.95)

Galapagos Diary, A Complete Guide to the Archipelago's Birdlife

Galapagos Diary, A Complete Guide to the Archipelago's Birdlife


by Hermann Heinzel | Barnaby Hall

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

The jumbled, endearing and profusely illustrated journal of a birdwatching voyage to Galapagos, including hundreds of illustrations of all the birds. (GPS48, $34.95)

Galapagos, Islands Born of Fire

Galapagos, Islands Born of Fire


by Tui De Roy

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 168 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Author, naturalist, photographer and friend Tui de Roy's original stunning celebration of the landscapes, wildlife and habitats of the archipelago, out in a 10th anniversary edition. (GPS28, $29.95)

On the Origin of Species

On the Origin of Species


by Charles Darwin | Mayr Ernst

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1975
  • PAPER
  • 528 PAGES

A facsimile of the original 1859 edition of the book that changed our view of the world. (NAT19, $23.00)

The Beak of the Finch

The Beak of the Finch


by Jonathan Weiner

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 332 PAGES

This Pulitzer Prize-winning work is an accessible look at the modern debate on the mode and rhythm of evolution, using the story of Peter and Rosemary Grant and their field work on Daphne Major as an example. (GPS08, $16.00)

Tropical Nature

Tropical Nature


by Adrian Forsyth | Ken Miyata

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1984
  • PAPER
  • 248 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

A lucid portrait of the tropics as seen by two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists. Its 17 marvelous essays introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforest. (GPS13, $16.00)

Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth

Volcanoes, Fire From the Earth


by Maurice Krafft

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 175 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

By the great French volcanologist (who died on the job on Mount Unzen in Japan in 1992), this pocket guide features hundreds of full-color paintings, traces the study of volcanoes from early myth and legend to modern science. (GEO06, $15.95)

A Field Guide to Sea Stars and Other Echinoderms of the Galapagos

A Field Guide to Sea Stars and Other Echinoderms of the Galapagos


by Cleveland P. Hickman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 83 PAGES
  • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE

A spiral-bound field guide to sea stars, urchins and sea cucumbers of Galapagos. (GPS31, $18.95)

Birds of Ecuador, A Field Guide

Birds of Ecuador, A Field Guide


by Paul Greenfield | Robert Ridgely

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 740 PAGES

A comprehensive, gorgeous and exhaustively researched field guide to the birds of Ecuador (and adjacent countries), featuring 96 color plates. It's also the best bird guide for travelers in the Peruvian Amazon. (EDR08, $55.00)

Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands

Birds, Mammals and Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands


by Andy Swash | Robert Stills

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2006
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 168 PAGES

This strikingly compact, comprehensive field guide features 500 color photographs, distribution maps and information on status, habitat and behavior. (GPS49, $28.00)

Flowering Plants of the Galapagos

Flowering Plants of the Galapagos


by Conley McMullen | Ghillean Prance

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 370 PAGES

Indispensable for the botanically minded, this excellent guide features color photographs of 436 species, an overview of ecology and habitats, and a plant checklist for each visitor site. (GPS40, $35.00)

Galapagos Wildlife

Galapagos Wildlife


by Pocket Naturalist

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2001
  • PLASTIC CARD

This fold-up, laminated card guide, with color drawings, will appeal to the whole family. (GPS51, $5.95)

Reef Fish Identification, Galapagos

Reef Fish Identification, Galapagos


by Paul Humann

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2003
  • FLEXI-BOUND
  • 200 PAGES

With its hundreds of well chosen color photographs and descriptions, this field guide is essential for underwater enthusiasts. (DIV04, $39.95)

Smithsonian Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises

Smithsonian Handbook: Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises


by Mark Carwardine

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

In the trademark, graphic Eyewitness style, this sturdy guidebook colorfully describes the world's cetaceans with numerous illustrations, range maps, fluke drawings and a few paragraphs on each species. (FG02, $20.00)

The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins

The Sierra Club Handbook of Whales and Dolphins


by Stephen Leatherwood | Randall Reeves | Larry Foster

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1983
  • PAPER
  • 302 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

A guide to whales and dolphins that fits in your pocket. (FG06, $18.00)

Wildlife of the Galapagos

Wildlife of the Galapagos


by Julian Fitter | Daniel Fitter | David Hosking

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 254 PAGES

A compact identification guide to Galapagos nature and wildlife, featuring 400 color photographs, an overview of the history, climate, evolution and geology of the islands, and helpful full-color visitor site maps. (GPS47, $19.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.