Francois Peron

An ambitious and meticulously researched biography, this title details the life of famed scientist François Péron—from his early years spent in the French revolutionary army to an ambitious medical student who gained a place as an assistant zoologist on Nicolas Baudin’s expedition to Australian waters. Discussing the expedition—which was famously marked by the vexed relationship between Péron and Baudin—this life story tells of Péron’s profound achievements, including the pioneering observations in zoological, oceanographic, and ethnographic studies. A balanced assessment of the difficult yet engaging relationship between Péron and Baudin, this biography also acts as an analysis of the conduct of science during some of the most turbulent years in French history.