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The Wide Wide Sea
The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook | Hampton Sides
5 posts | 5 read | 6 to read
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “thrilling and superbly crafted” (The Wall Street Journal) account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook’s death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day. “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.
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Floresj
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Pickpick

This book tells the story of Captain Cook‘s final voyage and its well written. Just enough historical diary entries, explanations of ship maintenance and navigation, and a variety of characters lead this book to be entertaining. The colonialism isn‘t avoided, critiques about decisions are included, and shocking avoidance of death make it interesting.

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Texreader
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My two Hampton Sides books from HPB. The tagged book should work for #readingOceania @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Librarybelle In the Kingdom of Ice is really good! 2mo
CSeydel I loved In the Kingdom of Ice! 2mo
Texreader @Librarybelle @CSeydel Great! I‘ve been anxious to read Hampton Sides books and feel so lucky to have found these 2mo
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DGRachel
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Mehso-so

Mine is an #unpopularopinion, but I was bored to tears through most of this. I‘m sure the audiobook narrator didn‘t help, but there are nonfiction authors whose writing is more compelling, IMO. It wasn‘t until the last visit to the Hawaiian islands and Cook‘s death that things got interesting. I struggled to convince myself to pick it up, as evidenced by the fact that I finished with only 2 hours left on my Libby check out.

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Amiable
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Pickpick

It‘s history, so you think you already know how the story goes. But Hampton Sides somehow always manages to imbue his nonfiction accounts with suspense and a propulsive narrative that reads like a thriller. This details the third and final voyage of Capt. James Cook, which ended with his death in Hawaii in 1778. What precipitated that violent and tragic encounter on the beach? I couldn‘t put it down.

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating look at Captain Cook‘s final voyage, from inception to conclusion. Using primary sources, it helps clear up some misunderstandings about him and explores some unknowns/remaining questions. (Did you know he never named a place after himself, despite being a prodigious mapmaker? All those places named after him were done by others.) I was riveted by it.

Amiable I just finished this yesterday, too! Great read. Everything Hampton Sides writes is gold. Love him. 5mo
Hooked_on_books @Amiable I‘ve only read one other, In the Kingdom of Ice, and it was great. I will definitely be looking for more of his. 5mo
Amiable @Hooked_on_books I went on a tear last year and read everything he‘s written (except one book—which is currently sitting in my library stack). This ended up being my absolute favorite book of 2023: 5mo
Hooked_on_books @Amiable That sounds incredible! Thanks for putting in on my radar. I read a terrific King biography last year, and that looks like the perfect companion read. 5mo
Amiable @Hooked_on_books If/when you do read it, tag me in your review if you remember! I‘d love to hear your thoughts on it. 5mo
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