About this item
Highlights
- Cook was the greatest explorer of his age and his voyages of discovery are the stuff of legend.
- About the Author: Peter Aughton is a visiting lecturer at the University of the West of England and is the author of several acclaimed books, including Newton's Apple, The Transit of Venus and two other books on Captain Cook, Endeavour and Resolution.
- 216 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, Adventurers & Explorers
Description
Book Synopsis
Cook was the greatest explorer of his age and his voyages of discovery are the stuff of legend. During two long journeys, he circumnavigated the globe twice, charted the east coast of Australia, the whole of New Zealand and many islands in the Pacific. "The Fatal Voyage" is the story of Cook's final journey when he led his most dangerous and fabled expedition to search for the elusive Pacific entrance to the North West Passage. He set sail from England in July 1776 and along the way discovered the Hawaiian archipelago before mapping and charting the formidable north west coast of America, from Vancouver Island to the frozen northern coastline of Alaska. He sailed through the Bering Straits and although his ships reached the entrance to the North West Passage they were defeated by a sheer wall of ice blocking their way. Cook returned to Hawaii to rest, but a series of misjudgments between his men and the islanders sparked a violent clash in which Cook was killed at Kealakekua Bay.
Peter Aughton has here used letters, log records and the diaries of those involved in the voyage to tell an enthralling account of James Cook's last days at sea and reveal the extraordinary legacy he left behind.
Review Quotes
Praise for the previous hardcover edition: "Chapter by chapter Peter Aughton gives us new insights into this epic voyage... a masterpiece of interpretation." David Bellamy
"This is a remarkable tale of human ingenuity and tenacity, the 18th century equivalent of lunar exploration. Aughton is a passionate advocate but never a sentimentalist. First-rate." The Yorkshire Post
Praise for Peter Aughton's previous two books on Captain Cook: "A clear and enjoyable narrative... Aughton takes the reader along at a rattling pace." Times Literary Supplement
"Aughton's brisk, clear-eyed narrative arrestingly lets the tale speak for itself." The Sunday Times
"Peter Aughton tells the story clearly and without pretension. A scientist himself he is able vividly to communicate the excitement of the enterprise which the Endeavour undertook." History Today
"Aughton's narrative is well judged in terms of both tone and pace and it is a good introduction to the Cook legend. Aughton is especially good on the rough camaraderie of maritime life... a valuable guide." The Guardian
"A clear and enjoyable narrative... Aughton takes the reader along at a rattling pace." Times Literary Supplement
"Lively, readable and interesting." Sydney Morning Herald
"In his diligent study, Peter Aughton has unearthed several new aspects about the voyage - and the man at the helm... a tale of drama and intrigue." The Sunday Times (Australia)
About the Author
Peter Aughton is a visiting lecturer at the University of the West of England and is the author of several acclaimed books, including Newton's Apple, The Transit of Venus and two other books on Captain Cook, Endeavour and Resolution.