“Hampton Sides, an acclaimed master of the nonfiction narrative, has taken on Cook’s story and retells it for the 21st century.”—Los Angeles Times
On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment?
Hampton Sides’ bravura account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s. Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science-–the famed naturalist Joseph Banks accompanied him on his first voyage, and Cook has been called one of the most important figures of the Age of Enlightenment. He was also deeply interested in the native people he encountered. In fact, his stated mission was to return a Tahitian man, Mai, who had become the toast of London, to his home islands. On previous expeditions, Cook mapped huge swaths of the Pacific, including the east coast of Australia, and initiated first European contact with numerous peoples. He treated his crew well, and endeavored to learn about the societies he encountered with curiosity and without judgment.
Yet something was different on this last voyage. Cook became mercurial, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline, and led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with his secret orders, which were to chart and claim lands before Britain’s imperial rivals could, and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Whatever Cook’s intentions, his scientific efforts were the sharp edge of the colonial sword, and the ultimate effects of first contact were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. The tensions between Cook’s overt and covert missions came to a head on the shores of Hawaii. His first landing there was harmonious, but when Cook returned after mapping the coast of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter.
At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, THE WIDE WIDE SEA is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers.
“Hampton Sides, an acclaimed master of the nonfiction narrative, has taken on Cook’s story and retells it for the 21st century.”—Los Angeles Times
On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment?
Hampton Sides’ bravura account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s. Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science-–the famed naturalist Joseph Banks accompanied him on his first voyage, and Cook has been called one of the most important figures of the Age of Enlightenment. He was also deeply interested in the native people he encountered. In fact, his stated mission was to return a Tahitian man, Mai, who had become the toast of London, to his home islands. On previous expeditions, Cook mapped huge swaths of the Pacific, including the east coast of Australia, and initiated first European contact with numerous peoples. He treated his crew well, and endeavored to learn about the societies he encountered with curiosity and without judgment.
Yet something was different on this last voyage. Cook became mercurial, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline, and led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with his secret orders, which were to chart and claim lands before Britain’s imperial rivals could, and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Whatever Cook’s intentions, his scientific efforts were the sharp edge of the colonial sword, and the ultimate effects of first contact were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. The tensions between Cook’s overt and covert missions came to a head on the shores of Hawaii. His first landing there was harmonious, but when Cook returned after mapping the coast of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter.
At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, THE WIDE WIDE SEA is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers.
Critiques-
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Starred review from February 5, 2024
Bestseller Sides (On Desperate Ground) recreates in this propulsive account the final expedition of Captain James Cook (1728–1779), which culminated with his murder by native Hawaiians. Diving into the long-standing mystery of what went wrong, Sides spins an observation made by previous chroniclers—that “on his final voyage something wasn’t quite right with the famous captain... his personality had definitely changed”—into a sidelong indictment of imperialism. Tracing Cook’s transformation from toast of the Enlightenment, a heroic “mariner-scientist” who ferried naturalists around the world and made friends with Natives, to violent authoritarian who dispensed brutal punishments for minor infractions, like theft of supplies, against Indigenous communities as well as his crew, Sides eschews the conventional “medical” explanation of Cook’s “profoundly changed... outlook.” Instead, Sides insinuates, the “sinister force pulling at his psyche and his soul” was Cook’s growing conviction—heightened by increasingly frequent signs that Spanish vessels were exploring the same territories in the Pacific—that he must be more ruthless in claiming new land for Britain. With an admirably light touch, Sides teases out his convincing thesis amid a riveting day-by-day narrative of the voyage and fascinating asides on such matters as the fierce anthropological debate over whether the Hawaiians really considered Cook to be the god Lono. This exquisitely crafted and novelistic portrait of the mercurial captain enthralls. -
Of the several audiobooks about British sea explorer James Cook, this is one of the most memorable. Peter Noble is a powerful narrator, and he weds himself to this action-packed story with deep empathy and understanding. As the Revolutionary War unfolded on the east side of the North American continent, Cook explored the west, searching in vain for a Northwest Passage. Along the way, he explored much of the west Pacific, stumbling upon Hawaii, where his crews introduced metalworking and venereal disease, and soon roused open hostilities. Cook is a complex, contradictory protagonist, and Sides brings an effective degree of balance and insight to a revisionist portrait that finds many fissures in the great explorer's heroic facade. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
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Starred review from May 31, 2024
Prolific narrative historian Sides (On Desperate Ground) weaves a gripping tale of Captain James Cook's final, fateful voyage, culminating in his death in Hawai'i. Sides summarizes Cook's early life and sheds light on his peculiar personality and scientific beliefs, leadership, and earlier sea voyages. On February 14, 1779, Cook attempted to abduct Kalaniōpuu, the ruling chief of Hawai'i, after Hawaiian warriors stole Cook's cutter boat. In the ensuing 10-minute battle, Cook, four of his men, and 20 Hawaiian warriors were killed. Sides's thrilling narrative clarifies Cook's role as a European visitor to the Pacific islands, highlights the cultural differences between the Europeans and the Indigenous Hawaiians, and explains the sordid legacy of colonialism. Award-winning narrator Peter Noble's steady pace and well-placed inflections enhance the narrative and invite listeners to fully explore this remarkable tale. VERDICT This well-researched work is a must-listen for those seeking a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of Cook's life and legacy. The book supplements J.C. Beaglehole's 1992 classic The Life of Captain James Cook and is highly recommended for any collection centering on the Age of Sail.--Dale Farris
Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
