Captain James Cook

by Richard Hough

Book Overview

James Cook, born in 1728, was one of the most celebrated men of his time, the last and the greatest of the romantic navigator/explorers. His voyages in the Royal Navy to the eastern and western... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393036804
• ISBN13: 9780393036800
• Release Date: April 1995
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 398 Pages
• Weight: 1.87 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Awesome book

I loved it.

Honorable

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.

A great biography

This well researched tale of exploration and discovery is one of the best biographies I've ever read. The achievements of Captain Cook and his crewmen are incredible. In the age of "survivor" TV this story resonates with true courage and ingenuity. The range of Cook's travels from the South Pacific to the coast of Alaska and the varying conditions that were encountered make for an emjoyable read. Highest recommendation. A book to be read and reread.

A well written biography

I was prompted to read this book after finishing Longitude which alludes to the progress Captain Cook made in a seamans health at sea. What I found was a man who rose to the top of his trade by applying himself and following his curiousity. He not only changed the way men lived while at sea, he travelled the globe in search of new and exciting places. While it's true he wasn't a great discoverer, the length and success of his trips speak for his talent and drive. Imagine spending upwards of 3 - 4 years at sea seperated from you home, family and friends and doing it on a vessel 100 feet long with a crew of 100! It's unheard of today and speaks of the fortitude adventures, such as Captain Cook, possessed. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in setting sail on the open seas from the comfort of your chair, you won't be disappointed!

This book is beautifully written and an excellent biography.

I had the great pleasure of recording this entertaining book for the American Foundation for the Blind's Talking Books program. Rather than summarize its contents, well done in other reviews on this site, I will simply say that I found it extremely easy to record because it is written in such flowing, evocative prose. In fact, it reads very much like a fascinating adventure novel, and Robert Louis Stevenson could almost have written it. The travels of Captain Cook are superbly recounted, and make engrossing, absorbing reading.

Captain James Cook has charted life's shoals.

The astounding voyages of exploration led by Captain James Cook (1728-1779) are fascinating to read about, and not just because of the tales of discovery, the intriguing geography, and the history of Europe's colonization of much of the world. The excruciatingly difficult missions led by Cook were remarkably successful because he was probably the most qualified person in the whole world to command such undertakings, and we can all benefit by reflecting upon exactly what it was that made him so good at his job. Captain Cook's approaches to exploration are equally applicable to the more mundane challenges we all face. To hit the high points, it's worth noting that Cook became the most remarkable explorer of his age, and one of the greatest of all time, without the benefit of any useful family connections, wealth, or top-flight education. He went to sea in the merchant marine and worked his way up through ability and diligence. Then, when he was about to become captain of a collier, he chucked all the security and power the position offered, and signed on as a lowly sailor in the Royal Navy. Can you imagine the self-confidence that it would require to take such a risk? In due course, Cook was promoted in the Navy, as he knew he would be, but his long-term prospects were still very limited in that institution, in which high birth, wealth, and influence were almost always essential qualifications for the highest ranks. Cook continued to hone all the skills of the sea, and became one of the most accomplished chart-makers of his day. His charts, for example, were essential to the success of General Wolfe's bold assault on Quebec in the Seven Years War. When the time came to send out a British ship to Tahiti (ostensibly to observe the transit of Venus across the sun, but undoubtedly also to extend British influence into the Pacific), Cook was the natural choice. For once, ability prevailed over influence, and even over rank. Cook was commissioned a lieutenant _after_ he was selected for command, since it plainly would not reflect well on the grandeur of England and the Royal Navy to have such a vital mission commanded by a man not holding a commission. The first voyage of circumnavigation was of course an outlandish success, opening the door not only to Tahiti and the South Pacific, but also to New Zealand and Australia. The arduous second voyage, devoted to negating the notion that there was an undiscovered and massive continent in the southern oceans, will always be a prime example of human tenacity and persistence. Even the third voyage of circumnavigation, which was tragically marred by Cook's death in Hawaii, had already accomplished much in fearlessly probing for the hoped-for Northwest Passage. Each chapter of Cook's life, as recounted by Richard Hough with great skill, reflects the development and dogged application of a wide range of skills needed for such extraordinary tasks. Cook became an expert seaman, to be sure, b