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Captain James Cook's three epic 18th-century explorations of the Pacific Ocean were the last of their kind, literally completing the map of the world. Yet despite his monumental discoveries, principally in the South Pacific, Cook the man has remained an enigma. In retracing key legs of the circumnavigator's journey, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Tony Horwitz chronicles the cultural and environmental havoc wrought by the captain's opening of the unspoiled Pacific to the West, as well as the alternately indifferent and passionate reactions Cook's name evokes during the writer's journeys through Polynesia, Australia, the Aleutians, and the explorer's native England. Horwitz skillfully weaves a biography and travel narrative with warm humor that is natural and human-scale, and his restless inquisitiveness quickly infects the reader. While striking dichotomies abound throughout that journey--Maori toughs who adopt Nazi imagery to symbolize their own fight against white domination, millennia-old Polynesian sexual mores that would shame the Reeperbahn, a sense that Christianity decimated native cultures at least as effectively as Western venereal diseases did--few are more poignant than the ones that abound in Cook's own life. This fine work is an adventurous reminder that answers to historical riddles are elusive at best--and seldom as compelling as the myriad new questions they pose. --Jerry McCulley
Book Description
Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone BeforeTwo centuries after James Cook's epic voyages of discovery, Tony Horwitz takes readers on a wild ride across hemispheres and centuries to recapture the Captain's adventures and explore his embattled legacy in today's Pacific. Horwitz, a Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of Confederates in the Attic, works as a sailor aboard a replica of Cook's ship, meets island kings and beauty queens, and carouses the South Seas with a hilarious and disgraceful travel companion, an Aussie named Roger. He also creates a brilliant portrait of Cook: an impoverished farmboy who became the greatest navigator in British history and forever changed the lands he touched. Poignant, probing, antic, and exhilarating, Blue Latitudes brings to life a man who helped create the global village we inhabit today.
Customer Reviews:
Loved this book.......2007-10-17
This is one of those books that before you even finish it, you want to share it with your friends. It's a can't-put-it-down, feel-like-you're-there good read.
Captain Cook For A Day.......2007-09-28
Well, I'm not ashamed to admit my hand just went right out and chose this book for title alone, on the strength of another travelogue I have in my library with "Blue" in the title (William Least Heat Moon's excellent Blue Highways). The boat on the cover helped; I'm a sucker for seagoing stories.
There is no denying Tony Horwitz has a gift for getting you to read; I was absorbed immediately. He makes history vastly more interesting than my Western Civ professor did in college, and presents a credible reasoning for what lead up to the death of Captain James T. Cook (that's right, sportsfans, the captain of the starship Enterprise is named after the 18th-century explorer).
Because of a lifelong passion for the sea and, apparently, Captain Cook, Horwitz embarked upon the novel notion of retracing the great man's voyages, 21st-century style. I thought this a bit of a cheat throughout the book; he VISITED the same sites, but couldn't have been said to truly get the flavour of any of the journeys. He started out promisingly, signing onto a trip for not quite a week aboard a replica of Cook's ship Endeavour by blatantly lying his way through the application, checking "yes" to questions he probably should have, in retrospect, reconsidered. A more-or-less total greenhorn, he schlepps his way through days of screwups with safety gear on that Cook's hapless sailors never enjoyed, along with far better food, no threat of corporal punishment and far less crowded conditions. Predictably, his first destination after getting off for the last time is a tavern - at least there he follows the pattern of sailors of old.
Thereafter his retracings take the form of flying to each port of call and investigating Cook's explorations on foot and by far safer land transportation (usually). The book is an excellent insight into the South Pacific of today; it seems to have no resemblance whatsoever to the South Pacific of Cook's time, which is probably the point. I have harboured a passion to visit Rarotonga all my life. After reading what the islands are like now, I think I will live with my fantasies. Things seem very shabby and dirty from Horwitz's perspective; not a paradise anymore. The one place which seems close, an island nation called Niue, is a curious mix of Christianized, very proper islanders and dubious offshore money-laundering concerns, and here Horwitz succeeds in making an unwelcome nuisance of himself by pestering the locals to show him a plant which causes them noticeable embarrassment. He doesn't take the hint when he gets the cold shoulder from almost everybody he asks about it but gets off the island, seemingly, just prior to being invited to leave.
"Blue Latitudes", as a whole, probably wouldn't supplant a recognized treatise about Captain Cook - although he does present the man's failings, it's clear he slants in favour of the explorer - but does effectively touch on almost every aspect of Cook's life and career, with intriguing insights into his dealings with native peoples, his prowess as a cartographer (some of Cook's charts were in use until the mid-1990s), and his expertise as a commander and seaman. He made three transoceanic voyages with minimal loss of life or property before possible burnout brought him to a set of unfortunate circumstances which culminated in his death at the hands of an infuriated mob of natives at Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, on February 14, 1779.
Horwitz is enthusiastic in his efforts to get information, points of view, previously-unknown sidebars, and support from a huge cast of characters, accompanied almost throughout by a droll fellow named Roger who appears to be as amenable to foregoing any investigation that doesnt involve a rum bottle as he does in giving Horwitz moral support in the out-of-the-way places they visit. Overall, this was a highly entertaining book. I know far more now about Cook and the South Pacific - both former and present day - than I did before I read it, and was left, also, with a curious sense of loss at the end. I quite enjoyed circumnavigating the globe with Horwitz and his merry crew.
Good Read, a little long near the end..........2007-06-08
I am big fan of Tony Horwitz, and this was a very good book and a lot of great information on Captain Cook. My only complaint was that the book gets a little long near the end. Roger, Tony's accomplice throughout the journey is a real character and was enjoyable throughout.
A wondrous journey!.......2007-03-09
I had little idea of Captain Cook's comings and goings until a friend recommended this book to me. Coincidentally, I began reading it while on a trip that included Hawai'i -- and found myself on Big Island on the anniversary of the great captain's death (which I celebrated with a bird's eye view of the monument in his honor and a toast). The book makes fascinating and constantly entertaining and informative reading, and I liked Horwitz's idea of retracing Cook's steps, trying to balance what he came across with how things have changed (usually for the worse) in the past 230+ years. Cook's views on scurvy -- way beyond his years --, his normally open and respectful attitude towards native peoples, his huge talent for navigating and mapping what he encountered and his courage in the face of great peril and adversity have made me admire him a lot. It is interesting to note that most native peoples regard Cook as a bane, the man who brought so-called civilization to their previously untouched existences. I really do think Cook was the smaller of evils...
Cook and the New World.......2007-01-23
This is a book that could start the curious reader on a search of their own for the elusive Captain Cook. What is so good about this book is that Horwitz has been honest about his successes and failures in following in the footsteps of the great explorer. There are plenty of laugh out loud passages as Roger, his fellow traveller, and he confront the realities of travelling in places both isolated and altered since the days of Cook. Yet the book is far more than a merely amusing travelogue.
Horwitz manages to twine together his own travels and those of Cook in a manner that makes the reader realise how the world, and its people, have changed since the latter half of the eighteenth century. He clearly admires Cook, and most of his fellow sailors, whilst at the same time drawing attention to how their missions of exploration on behalf of what would become the British Empire altered the world for ever. One of the best aspects of the book is that he does not bludgeon the past into a politically correct framework but instead offers the reader insights into a past that many readers will find fascinating. The fact that Horwitz allows the reader to compare his abilities to cope with disappointments and difficulties to those of Cook makes the book more enjoyable.
A lengthy read but well worth the time.
Book Description
A new one-volume abridged edition of Cook's famous journals--"a majestic story of epic proportions"(Philip Edwards in the Introduction)
Captain Cook's Journals provide his vivid first-hand account of three extraordinary expeditions between 1768 and 1779. These charted the entire coast of New Zealand and the east coast of Australia and brought back detailed descriptions of Tahiti, Tonga, and a host of previously unknown islands in the Pacific including the Hawaiian Islands. The journals amply reveal the determination, courage, and skill that enabled Cook to wrestle with the continuous dangers of uncharted seas and the problems of achieving a relationship with the peoples whose unannounced guest he became. This edition, abridged from the definitive four-volume Hakluyt Society edition, makes Cook's inimitable personal account of his years of voyaging widely accessible for the first time and includes an Introduction to each voyage, a Glossary of unusual words, indexes of people and places, and a Postscript assessing the controversy surrounding Cook's death.
Selected and Edited with Introductions by Philip Edwards
Customer Reviews:
A dry tedious read.......2007-07-20
I wanted to like this book. I really did. When I saw it online, I thought that it looked interesting. The few reviews were favorable. I enjoy maritime tales, stories and life. I thought that pirates and life aboard ships were interesting decades ago.
This was a slow, monotonous account. At least all that I could read for three days. Then I lost interest. I have read period pieces before. However the abbreviations and some of the words I just could not decipher.
If you want to attempt to figure out this book, I wish you luck. If you do, maybe you could explain it to me. :)
Cook Lite.......2005-04-04
I wish I had read the reviews before paying for this. The key word for this edition is ABRIDGED. According to the editor Philip Edward's introduction, only about a third of Cook's/Beaglehole's text is included.
READ THIS ALONGSIDE RICHARD HOUGH'S BIOGRAPHY.......2003-06-05
This is a spectacularly interesting journal. Cook was an odd sort, that's for sure. But a genius? I'd certainly say so after reading his often-daily account of his activities. Really neat book.
A detailed account of Cook's voyages.......2001-04-05
This well prepared abridged edition of Captain James Cook's journals is a specialized book of interest to people studying the exploration of the Pacific and/or the British Navy of that time period. Other people might find sections of it dry reading. The book is recommended for oceanography students as the 17th century voyages of exploration formed the basis for later oceanographic cruises.
Cook's voyages carried scientific personnel of that time period, many of whom died from the harsh conditions along with members of the crews. In addition to bad weather, there were diseases and hostile natives (including cannibals). Extensive charting was carried out and, on the second voyage, the Board of Longitude supplied Cook with Larcum Kendall's copy of John Harrison's H4 watch for determining longitude. Observations were made of prevailing winds, currents, temperature, and other things of scientific interest.
Natives throughout the Pacific would go to great lengths to obtain iron, expecially axes, even prostituting their wives and daughters (willing or not). Natives would attempt to steal items, if they could, leading to numerous confrontations including one in which a boat crew of the Adventure (the consort ship of the second voyage) were killed and eaten by the Maori natives of New Zealand.
Cook's journal ended several weeks before his death. The editor fills in details from journals of other people who were on the voyage, and speculates on the reason he was killed by the natives in Hawaii.
The book includes maps of Cook's routes on his voyages. It also has an index listing the names of the various individuals mentioned, with an indication of their positions on the voyages or their other positions if they were not active participants.
A classic re-launched.......2000-07-18
This re-issue of the Beaglehole edition of the Cook journals attests to the enduring importance of Cook as the exemplar navigator and Beaglehole as his nautical Boswell.
The writing is elegant and subtle and the fascination of the recital enduring.
Best there is no other!
Customer Reviews:
Last of the Greats.......2007-02-25
I personally tend to find high adventure all the more entertaining when it's real. That it can be informative is icing on the cake. The story of Captain James Cook, about the life of the title's namesake, is high adventure and informative, not only in subject matter but in the telling as well. Author Richard Hough's presentation makes clear the spirit of discovery and exploration that guided Cook's life and exploits in his early years and during his three major voyages as the captain of his own ship.
Cook was an inveterate explorer of the world's oceans and unknown lands, not only identifying them but also charting their coastlines with an accuracy that was sometimes not surpassed until well into the last century. Among his discoveries were islands in parts of the world most remote from European civilization, mostly in the pacific, and in all latitudes from the icy Antarctic sea to the sweltering tropics. His voyages saw the collection of botanical samples extraordinaire and the measuring of astronomical phenomena. He was a literal pioneer in the field of health maintenance among sailors through his attention to cleanliness and diet - the dread disease of scurvy made almost no appearance on his ships.
The text traces out all the major events of his three voyages, including his skills as a diplomat, such as diplomacy was, with countless native Polynesian groups. Likewise, his deteriorating mental condition during his final voyage is presented in a manner of such contrast to his earlier steady-mindedness that the reader has little need for the author to make the redundant observation that something was very wrong. The breakdown in discipline that led ultimately to his death on the Hawaiian shores is clear to all.
There can be no doubt that the synthesis of knowledge and entertainment has exists in its highest form between these two covers. To call it readable is an understatement. Aside from downplaying the various scientific achievements of the civilian passengers, which form a peripheral subject in the story, the informative content is equally valuable. There can be little lacking in a reader's appreciation for this excellent work.
Another great bristish explorer - Excellent Biography.......2006-05-13
I knew a few things about the three voyages of Captain Cook so I decided to read his biography. Well I think I chose right, the author vividly tells the fascinating story of a brave man and his explorations in the pacific and South seas that you just don't want to stop reading, full of adventure and totally enjoyable.
In each voyage they were away from home almost three years, exploring mostly the polynesian islands, tahiti, new zealand and the fatal Hawai. They were also in the east coast of Australia, Eastern Island, Tierra del Fuego and Cape Horn. I wish I have the opportunity to meet all theses places.
Another great british explorer.
Honorable.......2005-02-22
Destiny. Some people possess an innate psyche as to what they want to do in life. James Cook would be one of those people. From his days as a youth working in an English seaside shop, Cook dreamed of sailing in a ship to discover other lands and people. He did it, becoming one of England's greatest navigators.
Richard Hough effects a daring read of this fascinating man. With firsthand quotes from the men who were on Cook's three voyages, the book is complete of adventure, misfortunes, perilous storms, native peoples with their ensuing customs and demeanor, geographical descriptions, disorientation, cannibalism, scurvy outbreaks, etc.
He joined the Royal Navy and worked his way up the ranks becoming surveyor in eastern Canada. With honor and distinction from these years of service, he accepts a position to captain an expedition to the South Pacific for exploration and to study the Transit of Venus for astronomical observations.
With accolades from this voyage, Cook is again asked to lead an expedition to the South Pacific in order to discover and survey the South Pole. Adventure after adventure follows.
His third and final voyage is to locate the mythical northwest passage by first journeying east around the Cape of Good Hope and then straight north through Hawaii to the northwest coast of North America. We see during this final expedition that due to a possible parasitic intestinal infection from his previous voyage, Cook's character and conduct is unbecoming of him and at times his behavior is unrestrained. He meets his final days at the hands of Hawaiian natives.
A discerning look into an accomplished and extraordinary man.
Where did this book come from?.......2004-10-22
When I read this book, I was fascinated by the story of Cook's life (who wouldn't be?) but I was sure this book was a reprint of some turn of the 19th/20th century author. But no, it was published in 1995. So where does this guy get that Australian aborigines are negrotoid and Inuits are mongoloid? Has he read any recent anthropology? Does he still believe in phrenology? He seems not to have read anything besides Beaglehole's biography and Beaglehole's editions of the journals, except for a few other journals by the crew. There is no historiography and no analysis. This book was originally a manuscript Hough found in a Victorian attic, I am sure of it!
This is a very solid biography........2003-06-05
We Aussies have a great deal of affection for dear old Captain Cook, who mapped our east coast whilst exploring the pacific. This book traces Cook's life and long career in an expert and readable fashion. Cook never advanced as rapidly as Lord Nelson, and traded in strictly military missions for other roles of importance to the Admiralty. But, as this fine biography shows, he stands alongside Nelson as a great British naval hero.
Book Description
Commonly regarded as the greatest sea explorer of all time, James Cook made his three world-changing voyages during the 1770s, at a time when ships were routinely lost around the English coast. He made history by making geography-- sailing through previously unknown southern seas, charting the eastern Australian coast and circumnavigating New Zealand, putting many Pacific islands on the map, and exploring both the Arctic and Antarctic. His men suffered near shipwreck, were ravaged by tropical diseases, and survived frozen oceans; his lieutenants-- including George Vancouver and William Bligh-- became celebrated captains in their own right. Exploits among native peoples combined to make Cook a celebrity and a legend.
Cook is not, however, viewed by all as a heroic figure. Some Hawaiians demonize him as a syphilitic rascist who had a catastrophic effect on local health. Indigenous Australians often see him as the violent dispossessor of their lands. Nicholas Thomas explores Cook's contradictory character as never before, by reconstructing the many sides of encounters that were curious and unusual for Europeans and natives alike. The result of twenty years' research, Thomas's magnificently rich portrait overturns the familiar images of Cook and reveals the fascinating and far more ambiguous figure beneath.
Customer Reviews:
A good history.......2006-08-17
Fewer things are better than a good sea story dealing with unexplored regions of the world. Captain James Cook's British Naval expeditions in the late 1700's were some of the last expeditions to the unexplored parts of the world. For introducing the subject and telling a good story, Thomas does an excellent job of introducing the reader to the inherent problems in leading a naval and scientific expedition and first contact with Pacific Islanders.
In many ways, today's outer space missions are less complicated than Cook's expeditions.
The anthropology sections of this book are the weakest sections, but there are simply few ways to understand the native Pacific islanders of Hawaii and Polynesia and the Maori peoples of New Zealand and Aborigines of Australia.
Cook's legacy is somewhat mixed in the Pacific basin, though to his credit, he handled first contact issues as well as he probably could. His death that resulted from an altercation with some Hawaiian tribe members was a bit of a tragedy, for few of his generation had as much patience in dealing with the inherent issues of Western and native interaction.
For the reader wanting a solid introduction to one of history's greatest explorers and one of the greatest sea stories, this is a worthwhile book.
The People on the Beach.......2006-03-28
Before reading this book, most of what I knew about Captain Cook was from high school (not much) and from a vacation or two in Hawaii complete with visits to historic sites. I saw it at the library and checked it out because I am enrolled in a "Pacific Islanders in the U.S." course at my local junior college, and because I'm planning another vacation in Hawaii and want to feel more grounded in the history of the place while I'm there.
I thought the book was great. It really cut through a lot of the mythology that surrounds what most of us are taught about Cook, to the real person, with failings as well as strengths. What I loved was I felt I got both perspectives, Cook's as well as the point of view of the People he encountered on the islands. One thing I got from the book is that Cook missed a lot. His journal records his perspective, but as well-meaning as it might be, that perspective was narrow and often limited by his own background. The island kingdoms he encountered, in Tonga, Hawaii and others were politically complex, and socially and culturally rich. Power plays were being made, not only by Cook, but by the People on the beach. I thought the presentation was balanced, and fascinating, and I am grateful for having read a book that allows me to think about this moment in history, and the islands themselves, in a broader way.
A good read, strange word choice at times........2005-09-30
The history, anthropology and sociology presented are well written at least 90% of the time. At other times the writer seems to get bogged down in making hindsighted judgments about certain situations and injects quite a bit of his personal thoughts... but hey it's his book and it's not sold as being a dry history book. It is all about Cook and the impact his expeditions had on the local islanders.
I would have rated the book higher had it not been for some very poor word choices that caught me off guard (read "profanity"). Including the fairly random use of the "F" word at one point in the book, which really seemed out of place and truly bizarre.
The maori were cannibals!.......2005-07-08
Unlike other accounts, this book doesnt start with Cook's heritage, but rather dives straight into Cooks voyages. Although his heritage plays significant roles in his decision making process, there is no need to waste pages. Instead the book recounts a remarkable journey that makes for simple yet eloquent reading. Accounts of European contact with Polynesian natives are griping and wildly descriptive. While university professors in Hawaii tend to blast Cook, most of them are informed by mostly biased sources. Here, the story remains unbiased and allows the reader to see Cook for who he really was: an amazing navigator, an amateur anthropologist, a steady diplomat, and a supurb leader among men. The heinous actions Cook committed has been expressed at face value by Hawaiian instructors, but Thomas goes into the whys rather than the whats. This is an excellent book on leadership as well.
Excellent account marred by a few lapses in style.......2005-05-11
I am not sure that the reviewers who complained about the "political correctness" of this title actually read the same book that I did. Nicholas Thomas presents an interesting, thoroughly researched, and balanced account of Cook's three voyages. Rather than depicting Cook as a malicious abuser of native societies, I was surprised to find that Cook was remarkably understanding, for his time, of cultural differences. The account of Cook's death in Hawaii (I trust I am not giving anything away), which to some extent was provoked by an unfortunate coincidence having to do with the native religion, was particularly fascinating.
My one quibble with the book, for which I deduct "one star", is with the style: first person asides, gratuitous use of the "F-word", and a sprinkling of contractions (e.g., "I'm", "they're"--this is a book, for heaven's sake, not a post-it note!). It is too bad that an otherwise excellent and scholarly work was marred by inelegant language.
Average customer rating:
- The third Volume in a Wonderful Series
- WELL WRITTEN HISTORY
- I love Robert Lacey!
- History Writing at its Best
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Great Tales from English History (3): Captain Cook, Samuel Johnson, Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin, Edward the Abdicator, and More
Robert Lacey
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description
History at its best--the great stories of England's modernage, distilled in Robert Lacey's inimitable style. From William and Mary to Watson and Crick, Robert Lacey's newest volumeoffers up the most delightful and intriguing English tales of the last fewcenturies. Royal families and renowned scientists, highwaymen and warheroes--the most colorful characters of modern English history are here.Samuel Johnson, Mary Wollstonecraft, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert,Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill--these are but a few of the famouscharacters to grace the pages of volume three. Robert Lacey once againcaptivates with the tales of an era's most pivotal moments: the events andextraordinary characters that shaped a great nation.
Customer Reviews:
The third Volume in a Wonderful Series.......2007-08-11
This third and final volume by Robert Lacey really finishes the series. Included are tales about the famous and the not so famous. What I really like about his books are that they are stories- great quick reads about events that we may not be familiar with.
I highly recommend this book to any Anglophile, or anyone wanting to learn more about the history of the UK.
WELL WRITTEN HISTORY.......2007-02-24
The author Robert Lacey, writes "The job of the historian is to deal objectively with the available facts. But, history is in the eye of the beholder and also of the historian, who as a human being has feelings and prejudices of his own." In Volume 3, few if any of Lacey's prejudices are apparent as he demonstrates once again that he is one of the best, both as a historian and a storyteller.
Technical, economic, governmental and political advancement dominated this period. The monarchs of the period are succinctly covered including the German George I, the madness of George III, and the coming to the throne of the teenage Queen Victoria. Tomas Paine's idea "that the rights of man, which include equality and liberty, are God-given at birth, and that governments are only good when they protect them" became a part of American doctrine. Curiously, profits of the triangular slave trade helped fuel the spectacular economy of England in the eighteenth century...." England ended slave trade in 1807.
The engineering marvels of the Great Western Railway are noted. In 1842 Queen Victoria chose that railway for her first train trip. This was also a period of great labor unrest and abuse. Labor alliances were formed. The 1888 strike of the "match girls" pioneered techniques of protest still used today, helped the formation of trade unions all over the country and "provided an early grass roots triumph in the struggle for women's rights.
Coverage of the twentieth century is excellent.The World War I trench-warfare truce of 24 December 1914 occurred when both German and Allied troops stopped fighting and celebrated Christmas together. Lacey notes that "such a widespread flowering of peace and friendship had never been seen in the history of war...." In 1915.when a few Allied soldiers trapped behind lines in Belgium were helped to escape by Edith Cavell, matron in a Belgium nurses' training school, the Germans executed her. The worldwide outcry was enormous and the bitterness so great that there were no more Christmas truces. In 1914 the British used volunteers. Young friends marched to recruiting offices, to enlist in what became known as the "pals or chums" battalions. At the Somme nearly twenty thousand British soldiers were killed with another forty thousand wounded: "the greatest ever British loss in a single day of battle.
Most interesting is the account of Edward, Prince of Wales' abdication. Apparently, Edward had been thinking of giving up the throne long before his father's death. Later Edward was involved with Mrs. Simpson, an American divorcee, which was his excuse for abdicating. Brief but sympathetic comments are given Neville Chamberlain's well-meaning attempts to appease Hitler. Robert Lacey asks the rhetorical question regarding Chamberlain "And was he really so wrong to try to stop a conflict which....would claim the lives of more than fifty million people?"
The text coverage of World War II is revealing. The story of the little boats at Dunkirk is exaggerated; "it was the big ships of the Royal Navy that transported the vast majority of the soldiers home.." While Churchill lauded the RAF pilots in the Battle of Britain stating "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few", the text notes "...every fighter pilot depended on a massive and complex pyramid of support staff--radar technicians, the observer crops...." The few were supported by "many." The text's final comment on WWII notes that Winston Churchill, taking up to eight hours,wrote all his own speeches. Churchill phrases are still quoted to this day.
Finally, the text closes with a review of the 1953 discovery of DNA 1953 by Francis Crick and James Watson for which they later received a Nobel Prize
This is an easy and very enjoyable book to read. The reader need not worry about the author's objectivity.
I love Robert Lacey!.......2007-01-27
Robert Lacey has a most remarkable aptitude for relating history in an engaging manner, while still informing and educating. "The Year 1000" and the first two volumes of "Great Tales" are testaments to this. Lacey also manages to make history relevant and selects figures of note. Also to his credit is his lively, entertaining writing style.
History Writing at its Best.......2006-12-28
Those who have had the pleasure of reading this author's first two volumes in this series will know what to expect in this third and final volume - and they will not be disappointed. This volume contains 60 short (4 or 5 pages) snippets of English history - often little known but fascinating facts. These span the years from 1690 to 1953. The writing style, as usual for this author, is clear, simple, lively and quite engaging. The book is hard to put down for, I believe, the following two main reasons: 1) the shortness of the chapters and 2) the excellent writing style. This book can be enjoyed by anyone - but especially history buffs.
Customer Reviews:
Beyond the voyages of Cook; examine the brushing of cultures.......2004-09-29
When an anthropologist writes history one expects a differant perspective. Still, I was stunned by the insight Ms. Salmond exhibited. Most surprising is how densely this book is filled with small, "throwaway" insights that reveal the nature of Georgian England, the impact of the Enlightenment and even the impact of a society, like our own, where the division of wealth has become so radical.
Most important though, is that this book reveals how the nation of New Zealand has remained a Polynesian country despite its population being overwhelmingly of European descent.
spanning the cultural divide.......2003-12-02
Salmond's superb account of Cook's Pacific exploration tells the story from the perspectives of both Europeans and Polynesians. It places Cook as a 'player' in the islands' internal intrigues and power struggles, especially of the Maori and the Taihitians, while beautifully delineating the various and changing responses of their 'discovers' to the Pacific 'paradise'. Cook's portrayal is highly convincing, and the book assembles a brilliant argument for its conclusions about his violent end. Salmond's work is informed by an impressive anthropological knowledge, but it reads also as a sensitive exploration of personality and as a compelling adventure narrative. I have read a good many historical treatments of this material, and Salmond's work is among the best.
Book Description
In the annals of seafaring and exploration, there is one name that immediately evokes visions of the open ocean, billowing sails, visiting strange, exotic lands previously uncharted, and civilizations never before encountered -- Captain James Cook.
This is the true story of a legendary man and explorer. Noted modern-day adventurer Martin Dugard, using James Cook's personal journals, strips away the myths surrounding Cook's life and portrays his tremendous ambition, intellect, and sheer hardheadedness to rise through the ranks of the Royal Navy -- and by his courageous exploits become one of the most enduring figures in naval history.
Full or realistic action, lush descriptions of places and events, and fascinating historical characters such as King George III and the soon-to-be-notorious Master William Bligh, Dugard's gripping account of the life and death of Captain James Cook is a thrilling story of a discoverer hell-bent on going farther than any man.
Download Description
In the annals of seafaring and exploration, there is one name that immediately evokes visions of the open ocean, billowing sails, visiting strange, exotic lands previously uncharted, and civilizations never before encountered -- Captain James Cook. This is the true story of a legendary man and explorer. Noted modern-day adventurer Martin Dugard, using James Cook's personal journals, strips away the myths surrounding Cook's life and portrays his tremendous ambition, intellect, and sheer hardheadedness to rise through the ranks of the Royal Navy -- and by his courageous exploits become one of the most enduring figures in naval history. Full or realistic action, lush descriptions of places and events, and fascinating historical characters such as King George III and the soon-to-be-notorious Master William Bligh, Dugard's gripping account of the life and death of Captain James Cook is a thrilling story of a discoverer hell-bent on going farther than any man.
Customer Reviews:
Cook as an Explorer, Cartographer, Nutritionist and Scientist: Raising the Bar.......2007-01-16
A well-written, well-researched account of the life and times of Captain James Cook who was not only an outstanding explorer and all-around good man but who also found a way to prevent beri-beri during long months at sea. His detailed charting of New Zealand is still a benchmark of excellence. He left his indelible mark upon the world.
An amazing individual who did travel farther than any man!.......2006-12-13
What a surprise I found myself reading this book. For years I had wanted to read a biography of Captain Cook. Then I had the great pleasure to read BLUE LATITUDES, BOLDLY GOING WHERE GAPTAIN COOK
HAS GONE BEFORE (2002) by Tony Horwitz which is in part a biography told via a humorous travel narrative. And then I read the more detailed and dry COOK: The Extraordinary Voyages of Captain James Cook (2003) by Nicholas Thomas which is not so much a biography but a study of all three voyages told from all points of view. Then I came upon Martin Dugard's book which I found a fun, simple, and excellent straight forward biography. Yes, the book is flawed a bit by some psychological guesses about Cook's behavior on his final voyage with no source notes to back up the argument. Yet this is a marvelously entertaining read in similar fashion to my all time favorite page turner about another early discoverer, OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, Magellan's terrifying circumnavigation of the globe (2003) BY Laurence Bergreen. Dugard also did a great job of explaining Cook's patrons in England and how he advanced and won the right to Captain these three voyages of discovery. Should a dare say there is a small biography of the Earl of Sandwich contained in these 287 pages too. I recommend Farther Than Any Man for those who want a short fun good read while learning more about an amazing individual who did indeed go Father than any Man.
errors about cooks first nz visit.......2005-07-15
i have spent my life around cook strait,i give talks on what cook did on his first visit,and mr dugard clearly has no idea of what cook did,every item is incorrect,wrong in all detail and he has clearly never visited the ships cove,queen charlotte sound nor read Beaglehole or cooks log,,the book is the worst i have seen of hundreds written and should not have been published with all the errors in it,it is also trivial even the locations are wrong,,,i have 40years experience of the area and am surprised this book sells
Enjoy the book - ignore the details.......2004-10-24
Dugard's slightly fanciful account of Cook's voyages certainly makes for an entertaining read - I read it cover-to-cover on a recent trip to Hawaii.
However, despite the lively, engaging style, it is a bit scant and even sloppy in some areas - particularly the account of Cook's interaction with Australian Aborigines near present day Cooktown and the Easter Island encounter.
That said, I enjoyed it.
GOOD OVERVIEW - WELL WORTH THE READ.......2004-10-10
If you are a history buff, amature psychologist, or professional traveler, this book is easly trashed. It's inconsistencies, geography and attempts psychoanalysis are sort of sad. That being said, it is a fine book! Read it for what it is - a nice yard about a real individual who greatly influenced our history and use it as a launch for further, mroe indepth studies of a fastinating man and time. I like the author's style. He is actually readable. There is no attempt to come across as a great historical guru who happened to take World History 101 while in college. I get quite sick of "academics" who just hate for their territory to be tromped on, and their freshman following, who after reading one or two history texts, are experts. Certain reading should be for pure pleasure, other reading for serious study - lets not mix them up. Her we have a book that is a pleasure to read, and we can even learn a bit from it - what more could you want? Buy it. Read it and enjoy. He Martin, lets have some more! Don't let the History Grunts get you down!
Book Description
Cook's three great voyages into the uncharted Pacific, told in his own words. Travel classic recounts exploration of the eastern coastline of Australia, mapping of New Zealand, discovery of Hawaiian Islands, much more.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkably accessable.......2002-05-20
This first hand account comprised of journal entries with commentary is a fascinating read and provides tremendous detail of Capt. Cook's voyages. I think that for the general reader with an interest in Cook I would recommend Hough's biography as a primary source with this volume as a supplementary text. The two together will provide an excellent view of the accomplishments and adventures of Cook and his crews.
Customer Reviews:
Worth getting second-hand but only at these prices (at time of writing 18 cents).......2007-10-10
Although I agree with the criticisms of the other two reviewers, I found Ledyard's journal on Cook's voyage interesting reading, and worth paying a few dollars postage for. But as there are only about 115 pages worth reading, I'd feel disappointed with this book if I'd bought it new, or paid more than a few dollars plus postage for it. Apparently, this is about the only chance you have of reading Ledyard's journal without going to antique book auctions. But more gifted writers may have covered this voyage better, and few readers will wade through the rest of the book in its entirety, letters and all. More interesting perhaps is the biography of Ledyard's life, written by James Zug. Just because a man led an exciting life doesn't mean he was a great writer.
intersting and insightful.......2006-06-23
This book can not be said to hold up to many of the writings about any of the voyages of Captain Cook. I also agree that the letters are of no worth. However, for anyone that has read other books about Captain Cook it is a very interesting book. There are many things that Ledyard writes, which differ with the accounts that Cook records, which makes it an interesting look at what some of the crew thought about the third voyage. If you have never read anything about Captain Cook, DO NOT start wiht this book. If you have read anyhting about Cook already then this book will please you.
Not worth your time.......2006-01-03
This book is not nearly as interesting, enriching, or well written as the other books in this series. (I highly recommend the Voyage of the Beagle by Darwin, for example.) Publishing a whole volume of Ledyard is really overkill, and misstates his importance as a writer and historian. While the 20-page account of Cook's murder and the, er, unpalatable aftermath of his death is riveting, the rest of Ledyard's journal is dull. The private letters that make up the latter half of the book have little of interest to the general reader. For much better travel adventure about the same regions that Ledyard covers here, read Darwin (see above), or the Mutiny on the Bounty trilogy by Nordhoff and Hall, or Farley Mowat (especially The Siberians).
Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1896 edition by Macmillan & Co., Ltd., London.
Customer Reviews:
Be forewarned.......2007-08-14
This is an excellent facsimile edition of the original publishing in the 19th century. Be forewarned, though, that the publishers have made an error (which may exiat in the original edition from which this facsimile is taken, I don't know). Page 372 of this edition is numbered in sequence, but is a repeat of an earlier page. Thus, when you are reading of Sir Joseph's adventures in Batavia in November 1770, you are reprised with a page dated May 1770. Infurtiatingly, you then miss the appropriate page and miss, sadly, the death of Tupia.
With that caveat, This is an excellent resource, in some ways better than Captain Cook's Journals (though I feel blasphemous in saying that), and as fien a recreational read as you will find in many a year. It also surprises me how much science they actually knew in the late 18th century.
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