De Roy, Tui. A Lifetime in Galapagos. Princeton University Press, 2020. More than 200 large-format pages of wonder-filled photographs by an award-winning resident photographer. With such section headings as “Life at the Edge,” “Secret Nurseries,” and “Vampire Citadels,” this book has something for everyone… including those less fortunate who cannot travel to the islands. (Hard Cover, 240 Pp.)

De Roy, Tui. Galápagos: Islands Born of Fire. Princeton University Press, 2010. A stunning celebration of the landscapes, wildlife and habitats of the Galapagos by a native photographer, including her insightful analysis of conservation issues in the archipelago. Tenth anniversary edition. (HARD COVER, 168 Pp.)

Fitter, Daniel, Julian Fitter, and David Hosking (Photographer). Wildlife of the Galapagos. Princeton University Press, 2016. A compact identification guide to Galapagos nature and wildlife, featuring over 650 color photographs, an overview of the history, climate, evolution and geology of the islands, and helpful full-color visitor site maps. (PAPER, 272 Pp.)

Larson, Edward J. Evolution’s Workshop. Hachette, 2002. A vivid history of the Galapagos and the role of the islands as a crucible of evolutionary ideas, written by a Pulitzer Prize winner. Larson covers Darwin and 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. (PAPER, 320 Pp.)

Nicholls, Henry. The Galápagos: A Natural History. Hachette, 2014. One of the best guidebooks available today. Henry Nicholls charts the human and natural history of the archipelago from its fiery origins through famous visitors and current conservation challenges. (HARD COVER, 224 Pp.)

*Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch. Vintage Books, 1995. Highly recommended. 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. (PAPER, 332 Pp.)

Beebe, William. Galápagos: World’s End. Dover Publications, 1988. This wry, wonderfully evocative account of a 1924 scientific expedition includes an excellent chapter on the human history of the Galapagos. (PAPER, 442 Pp.)

*Darwin, Charles. Voyage of the Beagle. Modern Library, 2002. 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 is still a marvelous introduction to the wildlife, nature and allure of South America. (PAPER, 468 Pp.)

Estes, Greg, and Thalia Grant. Darwin in Galápagos: Footsteps to a New World. Princeton University Press, 2009. The duo retraces in detail the five-week visit by Darwin to the Galapagos, both reaching new conclusions about where he went and what he did and tracking other changes in the archipelago over the last 175 years. Greg has been a guide since the 1980s and Thalia is the daughter of finch researcher Peter Grant. (HARD COVER, 416 Pp.)

McCalman, Iain. Darwin’s Armada: Four Voyages and the Battle for the Theory of Evolution. W. W. Norton & Company, 2010. McCalman writes winningly of the lives, times and travels of Joseph Hooker, Thomas Huxley and Alfred Wallace. All three younger men, important in the history of science, were inspired by Darwin and, like him, set out to explore the world: Huxley aboard the Rattlesnake in Australia and New Guinea; Wallace in the Amazon and throughout Southeast Asia; and Darwin’s good friend Hooker, later director of Kew Gardens, was a naturalist aboard the Erebus and Terror on James Clark Ross’s voyage to the Antarctic. (PAPER, 432 Pp.)

*Simons, Eric. Darwin Slept Here: Discovery, Adventure and Swimming Iguanas in Charles Darwin’s South America. Overlook Press, 2010. Simons captures the exuberance and wide-eyed wonder of Darwin’s adventures in South America in this refreshingly irreverent account. (PAPER, 304 Pp.)

Amend, Allison. Enchanted Islands. Random House, 2017. Based on a mid-century memoir, this novel tells the story of two friends whose lives diverge after they have a falling-out in Chicago. While one settles down as a wife and mother, the other marries a Naval Intelligence officer goes undercover with him, to a base on the Galapagos. An examination of female friendship and the shaping of modern America. (PAPER, 272 Pp.)

Dillard, Annie. Teaching a Stone to Talk: Expeditions and Encounters. HarperCollins, 1988. Included in this collection of natural history essays by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author is “Life on the Rocks: The Galápagos,” a marvelous account of her visit to the islands. Delightful and funny. (PAPER, 177 Pp.)

Hickman, John (Editor). Galapagos: Through Writers’ Eyes. Sickle Moon, 2009. Hickman weaves original accounts by Galapagos whalers, gentleman pirates, fitful castaways, settlers and scientists, including Ambrose Crowley, Herman Melville, Charles Darwin and William Beebe, in these tales of the colorful human history of the archipelago. (PAPER, 225 Pp.)

Melville, Herman, and Joyce Carol Oates (Afterword). Billy Budd and Other Stories. Signet, 2009. This collection of short fiction includes “Las Encantadas,” Melville’s description of Galapagos (which he visited during his whaling days). (PAPER, 369 Pp.)

Schine, Cathleen. The Evolution of Jane. Mariner Books, 2011. 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. (PAPER, 256 Pp.)

Vonnegut, Kurt. Galápagos: A Novel. Dial Press, 1986. In this madcap classic, Vonnegut’s narrator lives in a future where the human race has been wiped out -- all except for a small group who boarded the “nature cruise of the century” only to get stranded in the Galapagos. (PAPER, 283 Pp.)

*Bassett, Carol Ann. Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin’s Cradle of Evolution. National Geographic, 2009. Bassett focuses on not only the threats to the Galapagos but also the dedicated and often colorful biologists, conservationists and others working to protect the archipelago in this eloquent, accessible field report. (HARD COVER, 304 Pp.)

*Darwin, Charles, and Mayr Ernst (Introduction). On the Origin of Species. Harvard University Press, 2001. A facsimile of the original 1859 edition of the book that changed our view of the world. The Origin is one of the most important books ever published, and a knowledge of it should be a part of the intellectual equipment of every educated person. (PAPER, 540 Pp.)

*De Roy, Tui (Editor). Galapagos: Preserving Darwin’s Legacy. Gardners Books, 2016. Tui de Roy corralled researchers and friends for this stunning survey of the natural history, ecology and conservation of the Galapagos. With 450 breathtaking color photographs and chapters by Jack Grove (fishes), Peter and Rosemary Grant (finches), Dennis Geist (geology) and many other scientists. (PAPER, 240 Pp.)

James, Matthew J. Collecting Evolution, The Galapagos Expedition That Vindicated Darwin. Oxford University Press, 2017. Rescuing an important expedition from the footnotes of history, this readable science book tells the story of eight scientists who, in 1905, collected staggering amounts of specimens from the Galapagos in an attempt to test Darwin’s theory of evolution. (HARD COVER, 384 Pp.)

Kricher, J.C. Galápagos: A Natural History. Princeton University Press, 2006. A lively, compact natural history of the islands and their role in evolutionary thought. It’s a wide-ranging overview that features chapters on human history, geology, setting, Darwin, tortoises, reptiles, birds and marine life. (PAPER, 221 Pp.)

Moore, Randy and Roslyn Cameron. Galápagos Revealed: Finding the Places that Most People Miss. Galapagos Conservancy, 2019. A guide to the interesting off-the-beaten-path sites (e.g., caves, plaques, houses and ruins) of the islands, and the fascinating histories and personalities behind them. Perfect for those remaining in Galapagos a few days beyond a scheduled tour. (PAPER, 190 Pp)

Nicholls, Henry. Lonesome George: The Life and Loves of the World’s Most Famous Tortoise. Trafalgar Square, 2010. The lone tortoise from Isla Pinta, corralled at the Charles Darwin Station since 1971 until his death in 2012, stands at the center of Nicholl’s witty, affectionate tale of conservation, biology and hope. (PAPER, 231 Pp.)

Pocket Naturalist. Galapagos Wildlife. Waterford Press, 2014. A fold-up, laminated card featuring color drawings and short descriptions of commonly encountered birds, mammals and reptiles of the Galapagos. (PLASTIC CARD)

*Stewart, Paul D. Galápagos, The Islands That Changed the World. Yale University Press, 2007. Stewart and co-authors, associated with the BBC natural history unit, present the natural and human history of the islands in this wide-ranging, beautifully illustrated book, the companion to the BBC series. (PAPER, 240 Pp.)

*Colossus Productions. Galapagos with David Attenborough. Go Entertainment Group, 2013. Almost as good as being there. Says the DVD jacket, “From the Emmy-winning producers of Attenborough’s First Life, this landmark [set of 3 videos] presents the Galapagos Islands as never seen before, giving unparalleled access to the magical islands… The result is a truly mesmerizing exploration of the world’s most [amazing] landscape, plant-life, and animals.” (DVD or 3D Blu-Ray)

*PBS Home Video. Voyage to the Galapagos. PBS, 2013. Alan Alda joins scientists working the Galapagos Islands, learning about the daily struggle of the ecosystem’s wildlife to survive (including 225,000 tourist/invaders who visit each year). (DVD)

*Stewart, Paul D. (Director). Galápagos: The Islands That Changed the World. BBC Home Entertainment, 2007. This stunning, three-part BBC documentary captures the rugged beauty, allure and wildlife of the islands. Narrated by Tilda Swinton. Runtime: 150 minutes. (DVD)

Geller/Goldfine Productions. The Galápagos Affair: Satan came to Eden. Zeitgeist Films, 2013. “A fascinating documentary portrait of a 1930s murder mystery as strange and alluring as the famous archipelago itself… a gripping parable of Robinson Crusoe adventyure and utopian dreams gone awry” [from the jacket]. Runtime 120 mins plus special features. (DVD)

Insight Guides. Insight Guide Ecuador and Galápagos. Insight Guides, 2019. This guide, now in its 7th edition, presents the natural history, politics, culture, wildlife and attractions of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands with style and authority. (PAPER, 328 Pp.)

Ocean Explorer Maps. Galapagos Islands Explorer Map. Ocean Explorer Maps, 2009. Not just handy for keeping track of your Galapagos cruise, this detailed map (1:400,000) of the islands includes illustrated biographies of famous visitors and a wildlife guide. (MAP)