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The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe
by
Glynis Ridley
Published in USA Dec 2010,
304 pages.
Rated of 5
by Vivian H. (Winchester, VA) 18th Century Adventures in Botany
It is always a challenge to tell the story of those for which there is little written record. However, there is enough on the history of Jeanne Baret to make this a fascinating tale of a woman who should never have lived past the age of 26, yet managed to become the mistress / companion of one of France's foremost botanists, disguise herself as a man - servant, and join her companion in collecting and cataloging plant specimens from remote locales during Bougainville's circumnavigation of the earth which began in 1760.
Ridley has thoroughly researched this journey, which includes altered captain's logs and diaries with conflicting testimony about how her ruse was discovered. She was the first European women to circumnavigate the globe and an unsung heroine to those of us who appreciate the grit, resourcefulness, fortitude, resilience, and bravery of those women, in obscurity, who paved the way for the privileges we now take for granted.
Rated of 5
by Julie B. (Menomonee Falls, WI) The Discovery of Jeanne Baret
I seldom read non-fiction, because I have the impression that it is tedious. When I started reading this book, I was sure my impression was correct. However, in later chapters, I became both fascinated and appalled by the account of the hardships Jeanne endured to be able to pursue her passion. Like other reviewers, I wish more material existed that would give more insight into Jeanne Baret. I would have liked to know more about how she felt about her experiences. She was such a brave and strong woman, and she deserves to be recognized.
Rated of 5
by Teresa R. (Fort Collins, CO) A skillfully told tale
Academic historian Glynis Ridley did formidable research on the state of scientific inquiry and social class in 18th century France for this book. Yet her account of the overlooked heroism and privations suffered by Jeanne Baret is laid out in a lively and readable narrative—by turns fascinating and appalling. Meticulously citing historical records, Ridley bears witness to Baret's courage and accomplishment despite years of brutish living conditions and physical and psychological assaults, not to mention the loutish behavior she bore from her lover, Philibert Commerson, the botanist whose career she helped advance and for whom she embarked on the round-the-world voyage.
Reading this book in the comfort of an easy chair brings awareness of the ease and privileges enjoyed by Western women of today. In solidarity with Ms. Baret, one should consider reading the book in low candlelight, perched on one’s haunches in a bare, drafty room. Either way it’s compelling and engrossing non-fiction.
Rated of 5
by Katherine Y. (Albuquerque, NM) Interesting book, but not really a biography
Glynis Ridley did an excellent job with researching the time period and the history of botany, so if those topics interest you then this would be a good book for you. But if you are looking for a biography of a woman adventurer breaking out of the roles prescribed for women at the time, this book doesn't really deliver because so little is known about Jeanne Baret. The book is well written and so held my attention even though botany is not a a particular interest of mine.
Rated of 5
by Susan R. (Dublin, NH) The Discovery of a Soporific
Jeanne Baret's is a story of pioneering, romance, intrigue, adventure and science. It deserves fleshed out characters and settings. This book doesn't deliver.
At a time when people of her class seldom ventured farther than their feet could carry them in a day, Jeanne Baret not only left home, she was the first woman to sail around the world. When the only "profession" open to woman was the oldest one, she had a working knowledge of plants in the wild and how they could be used. She didn't travel in relative luxury as the wife of an expedition captain, but as the strong and knowledgeable assistant to the trip's botanist--disguised as a man.
PBS, please do your thing.
Rated of 5
by Suri F. (Durham, NC) Great Subject, Academic Execution
I enjoyed this book very much for what it was--an academic historian's attempt to give readers insight into Eighteenth Century science. I do feel that since so little is known about Baret herself, the author might have taken more risks in making her come alive, even if the effort moved the book more into creative non-fiction. In any event, I found the tale exciting and inspiring.
A bold, mesmerizing novel about the woman known as "Typhoid Mary," the first known healthy carrier of typhoid fever in the burgeoning metropolis of early twentieth century New York.
Z, the novel about the life of Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald is at points charming and; like another reviewer, I kept thinking of the movie, "Midnight...
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Although heavy on the scientific details, which slowed down the story for me (OK, I admit, I was one of those liberal arts majors who skipped out on...
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Loved this book. Magical, quirky, enchanting I could go on. All books do not have to be literary fiction, sometimes it is just so comforting to read...
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British Parliament asks Amazon to clarify why it pays $9 million in income tax on $23 billion of UK sales.(May 20 2013) Amazon will be called back to give further evidence to members of the British Parliament "to clarify how its activities in the U.K. justify its low corporate...
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of 5
by Vivian H. (Winchester, VA) 
of 5
by Teresa R. (Fort Collins, CO) 
of 5
by Katherine Y. (Albuquerque, NM) 
