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dixiet's review
4.0
This was very interesting but also one of the most dense books I have ever read. No detail goes unrecorded, which often added to the interest but also meant I read through this at a much slower pace than I usually do. Definitely tells all you would ever wish to know about Captain Cook. What a life.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
‘From Sailor to Legend’
Captain James Cook FRS, RN (27/10/1728 – 14/2/1779) undertook three voyages of discovery into the Pacific Ocean during the second half of the 18th century. He was the first person to circumnavigate the world twice – first from east to west and then from west to east, and he also explored both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. Two of Cook’s voyages were in search of the great southern land - Terra Australis Incognita - and led him to map much of the east coast of Australia as well as to circumnavigate New Zealand and establish that it had two main islands. Cook also discovered the Hawaiian Islands.
‘He was, without doubt, the world’s greatest maritime explorer.’
A fortuitous introduction to Whitby-based shipowners John and Henry Walker led to the teenaged James Cook being apprenticed as a mariner in the British merchant navy. In 1755, he joined the Royal Navy. James Cook served in the Seven Years’ War, and then surveyed and mapped much of the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River during the siege of Quebec.
Partly as a consequence of this, Cook was noticed by both the Admiralty and the Royal Society and this led to his commission in 1766 as commander of His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour for the first of his three Pacific voyages.
‘Farewell old England.’
James Cook combined seafaring skills with superior skills as a navigator and surveyor, and an ability to lead men in challenging circumstances. The measures he took to prevent scurvy on voyages he led demonstrated that he cared for the welfare of his sailors.
James Cook married Elizabeth Batts on 21 December 1762. She died in 1835 (aged 93) having outlived James Cook by 56 years, and all of their six children. In just over 16 years of marriage, the Cooks spent fewer than 5 years together. Tragic. Note: in this book, Elizabeth Cook’s year of death is given as 1830. I’ve read elsewhere that she lived until 1835.
A number of books have been written about Captain James Cook. What makes this one different is that as an accomplished sailor himself, Rob Mundle explains the intricacies of sailing and brings the challenges of Cook’s journeys to life. Fortunately, for those of us who are less familiar with sailing, the book contains a glossary of sailing terms.
Was James Cook, as stated by Rob Mundle, the world’s greatest maritime explorer? I’d like to think so – especially of the 18th century (having hero-worshipped him for some 50 years), but Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus stand pretty tall as well.
After Cook’s death, amongst many tributes written, these words were written by David Samwell (surgeon of the Discovery): ‘... in every situation he stood unrivalled and alone; on him all eyes were turned: he was our leading star, which at its setting left us involved in darkness and despair'.
If you are interested in stories of courage and exploration, especially of the 18th century, then you may well enjoy this book. I certainly did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Captain James Cook FRS, RN (27/10/1728 – 14/2/1779) undertook three voyages of discovery into the Pacific Ocean during the second half of the 18th century. He was the first person to circumnavigate the world twice – first from east to west and then from west to east, and he also explored both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles. Two of Cook’s voyages were in search of the great southern land - Terra Australis Incognita - and led him to map much of the east coast of Australia as well as to circumnavigate New Zealand and establish that it had two main islands. Cook also discovered the Hawaiian Islands.
‘He was, without doubt, the world’s greatest maritime explorer.’
A fortuitous introduction to Whitby-based shipowners John and Henry Walker led to the teenaged James Cook being apprenticed as a mariner in the British merchant navy. In 1755, he joined the Royal Navy. James Cook served in the Seven Years’ War, and then surveyed and mapped much of the entrance to the Saint Lawrence River during the siege of Quebec.
Partly as a consequence of this, Cook was noticed by both the Admiralty and the Royal Society and this led to his commission in 1766 as commander of His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour for the first of his three Pacific voyages.
‘Farewell old England.’
James Cook combined seafaring skills with superior skills as a navigator and surveyor, and an ability to lead men in challenging circumstances. The measures he took to prevent scurvy on voyages he led demonstrated that he cared for the welfare of his sailors.
James Cook married Elizabeth Batts on 21 December 1762. She died in 1835 (aged 93) having outlived James Cook by 56 years, and all of their six children. In just over 16 years of marriage, the Cooks spent fewer than 5 years together. Tragic. Note: in this book, Elizabeth Cook’s year of death is given as 1830. I’ve read elsewhere that she lived until 1835.
A number of books have been written about Captain James Cook. What makes this one different is that as an accomplished sailor himself, Rob Mundle explains the intricacies of sailing and brings the challenges of Cook’s journeys to life. Fortunately, for those of us who are less familiar with sailing, the book contains a glossary of sailing terms.
Was James Cook, as stated by Rob Mundle, the world’s greatest maritime explorer? I’d like to think so – especially of the 18th century (having hero-worshipped him for some 50 years), but Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus stand pretty tall as well.
After Cook’s death, amongst many tributes written, these words were written by David Samwell (surgeon of the Discovery): ‘... in every situation he stood unrivalled and alone; on him all eyes were turned: he was our leading star, which at its setting left us involved in darkness and despair'.
If you are interested in stories of courage and exploration, especially of the 18th century, then you may well enjoy this book. I certainly did.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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