- Hardcover: 468 pages
- Publisher: Walker & Company (September 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0802714129
- ISBN-13: 978-0802714121
- Product Dimensions: 24.5 x 15.7 x 4.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 921 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#550,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #22 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( C ) > Cook, James
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Rich, vivid and deeply provocative, Thomas's work combines premiere adventure story with thorough history and intensive sociology. The University of London anthropology professor explains Cook's drive to find "the lands South" (in the 18th century, most presumed there was another continent at the south end of the world). Cook (1728-1779) made three harrowing trips in the 1770s in which he discovered Antarctica. In those travels, he explored worlds previously unknown to Europeans: the Pacific and its panoply of island nations. Cook first charted Australia, New Zealand and the entire southern hemisphere, and this aspect of his career is the book's most fascinating portion. Thomas explains that Cook was most interested in charting territories previously unheard of by Europeans; he was, like Lewis and Clark, at heart a geographer and cartographer. However, Cook didn't discover just longitude and latitude; he found whole new peoples. The results of explorations by Cook and his crews (which included an artist and diarist) informed European society of native cultures. How the elevation of some groups and devaluation of others evolved would, Thomas explains, influence centuries of perception about nonwhite, non-European societies and redefine words like "primitive," "savage" and "conqueror." Thomas diligently contextualizes Cook, who appears both heroic and demonic as he finds worlds where people had lived in thriving societies since the dawn of time and where his crews wreak havoc (e.g., bringing venereal disease) even as they attempt to "civilize" those they meet. Thomas displays sure, careful research and thoughtful interpretations, with a style matching the adventures detailed. He spent two decades on this work, and it shows. 8 color, 50 b&w illus.; 7 maps.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Drawing on 20 years of research, Thomas recounts Captain James Cook's original three voyages in the 1770s. Thomas writes that his aim is^B to capture the sense of a particular time, and his starting point is not Cook's ancestry or birth but his consciousness of himself at the age of about 39. Thomas divides the book geographically into what he labels "England's Atlantic," "To the South Sea," "Towards the South Pole," and "To the North Pacific." Thomas writes much about Cook's anthropological and scientific research, describing various ethnic groups, their customs, and their religious concepts. In one of Cook's letters describing Tahiti, he writes, "A virgin is to be purchased here, with the unanimous consent of the parents, for three nails and a knife." Thomas also writes of the flora and fauna in^B the places that Cook visited and of the horrendous weather he encountered at sea. With 54 illustrations and nine maps, this is an exceptionally researched work, one of the most detailed and insightful accounts of Cook's voyages. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
quite a disappointment!,
By
This review is from: Cook: The Extraordinary Sea Voyages of Captain James Cook (Hardcover)
I bought this book based on the recommendations here; unfortunately I have to say it's been a disappointment, and I feel compelled to write my own review too. While the book is obviously well researched and rich in details, the author interferes too much in the narrative -- I am frankly not very interested in Nicholas Thomas' personal relationship with Cook and Australian history. He claims in the introduction that he wants to stay away from the hero and anti-hero biases, but the whole book is very judgmental of Cook and his crew. In trying to be politically correct in 21st-century terms, the author fails to capture the 18th-century spirit of the voyages. Indeed, he paints a dark, boring picture of Cook that doesn't coincide with the exciting contemporary reception the navigator had in the second half of the 18th century. The style is poor, with long, convoluted sentences that take re-reading to decypher. Most annoyingly, there are several typos of foreign words, which I find unacceptable for a book published by a major publisher -- it shows a lack of attention to detail. I wish I could recommend another Cook biography, but I simply don't know. I can, however, highly praise Diana Preston's newly published biography of William Dampier, _A Pirate of Exquisite Mind_ for those interested in European navigators.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An informed and informative biographical recounting,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cook: The Extraordinary Sea Voyages of Captain James Cook (Hardcover)
Nicholas Thomas' Cook is no light coverage of historical hightligts, but a seriously informed and informative biographical recounting of the famous ocean voyageur of the 1700s. This is an in-depth result of twenty years' of meticulous research into Pacific history, culture and art. Captain Cook's voyages were to re-defined the known shape of the globe and introduced Europe to new peoples, new animals, and formerly unknown geographical boundaries. Thomas' Cook provides a new generaton of readers with both the positive aspects of Captain Cook's discoveries and the negatives surrounding his impact on native peoples he encountered in the name of king and country.
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary tale of a great explorer,
By
This review is from: Cook: The Extraordinary Sea Voyages of Captain James Cook (Hardcover)
This is a highly absorbing account of the three voyages of Captain Cook. The author has done a very commendable job of describing all the people, places, and cultures that Cook and his crew encountered. His descriptions of the populations indigenous to the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Austrailia, the Pacific Northwest, etc., and of the geography of these places are well researched and fascinating. The interplay of cultures between the British explorers and those they encountered is emphasized with great effect. The personalities and motivations of the key figures, including Cook, are brought to life as well. The account of the voyages reads like an adventure story, while simultaneously being based on very solid research. Included are a number of excellent maps and a large number of excellent illustrations, primarily of paintings and sketches done by artists who accompanied Cook. Very highly recommended.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
