Between Man and Beast

Do gorillas have a strong resemblance to man, or do they not? This is the question anthropologist Paul B. Du Chaillu intended to answer through his African journey in search of the elusive gorilla in the late 1850s. It also fueled Charles Darwin's theories and the ensuing debate over evolution. Bob Walter's voice gently sets the scenes in a true story told with novel-like detail. Listeners will find themselves exploring in Africa, watching a church rise in London, or attending a P.T. Barnum exhibition. Without becoming overly dramatic, Walter draws listeners into a story that covers a myriad of topics--from pre-Civil War racist arguments to Du Chaillu's mysterious life. At times, the actual discovery of the gorilla seems secondary to the hoopla surrounding it. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine