Sea of Dangers: Captain Cook and His Rivals in the South PacificIn 1769 two ships set out independently in search of a missing continent: a French merchant ship, the St. Jean-Baptiste, commanded by Jean de Surville, and a small British naval vessel, the Endeavour, commanded by Captain James Cook. That Christmas, in New Zealand waters, the two captains were almost within sight of each other, though neither knew of the other's existence. This is the stirring tale of these rival ships and the men who sailed in them. Cook's first long voyage was one of the most remarkable in recorded history. He not only sailed around the world, following the most difficult route any navigator had ever attempted; he also changed the maps of the world. In heavy seas he made a more thorough search for the missing continent-believed to lie somewhere between New Zealand and South America-than had ever been made. He was the first to explore most of the New Zealand coast and a vast stretch of the east coast of Australia, and the first to explore the longest reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef. In Jakarta and Cape Town, and in the seas between them, Cook lost a third of his crew to tropical illnesses, after earlier saving them from scurvy. The ship in which he circled the world was not much larger in area than a tennis court. Along with the de Surville vessel, the sea was an arena of international rivalry, for during his voyage Cook encountered Dutch, Spanish, French, and Portuguese competitors and suspicions. Geoffrey Blainey brings his marvelous storytelling powers to bear on this fascinating and important adventure, drawing us brilliantly into the lives of the major figures. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - questbird - LibraryThingGeoffrey Blainey returns to his comfort zone, the winds and waters of the southern seas. He documents the voyages of two European mariners, Cook and de Surville, whose vessels passed unknowingly ... Read full review
SEA OF DANGERS: Captain Cook and His Rivals in the South Pacific
User Review - KirkusProlific Australian historian Blainey (A Short History of the Twentieth Century, 2006, etc.) revisits the epic journey of Capt. James Cook's Endeavour and a parallel voyage by a French ship.The author ... Read full review
Contents
Toward the Land of the Long Canoes | 3 |
A Missing Continent | 28 |
A French Floating Bazaar | 44 |
Copyright | |
17 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
aboard Aborigines already anchor arrived ashore Australia Banks Banks's Journal beach birds boat British called canoes Cape Captain carried century close coast Cook Cook's Cook's Journals coral course crew danger deck discovered discovery distance Dutch east Endeavour England English Europe European Expedition exploration eyes face fire fish French fresh greens hand harbor hope India island Jean-Baptiste Journal known land later light living London Maori miles missing continent months navigator nearly night observed ocean officers Pacific Parkinson passed perhaps port probably reached recorded reef remained river route sailed sailors scurvy seamen seemed seen ship ship's shore side sight Solander soon South strait Surville Sydney Tahiti Tasman thought tide tropical voyage weeks wind wrote Zealand
Bibliographic information
| Title | Sea of Dangers: Captain Cook and His Rivals in the South Pacific |
| Author | Geoffrey Blainey |
| Edition | reprint |
| Publisher | Ivan R. Dee, 2009 |
| Original from | Indiana University |
| Digitized | Dec 18, 2010 |
| ISBN | 1566638259, 9781566638258 |
| Length | 322 pages |
| Subjects | › History / Expeditions & Discoveries |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |