Rating: 
Summary: In the flotsam of Cook's wake
Review: "With only one break in the encircling reef, the lagoon couldn't flush the sewage pumped into its once-crystalline water. If the wind and tide ran the wrong way, scum coated the surface. Overfishing had killed off much of the marine life. Fresh water was so scarce it had to be cut off each night from nine P.M. to five A.M."Such is the contemporary description in BLUE LATITUDES of the over-developed Bora-Bora lagoon, one of Captain James Cook's Polynesian landfalls in the summer of 1769. During the period 1768 to 1779 at the behest of the British Admiralty, Cook of the Royal Navy captained three 3-year voyages to the Pacific Ocean in attempts to discover either the continent rumored to be at the bottom of the world, or the much-sought Northwest Passage to Asia. Cook found neither, but he was the first European to see and chart many of the islands and landmass margins in that vast watery expanse. In BLUE LATITUDES, author Tony Horwitz follows in Cook's wake to the most celebrated of the latter's landfalls, both north and south: Tahiti, Bora-Bora, New Zealand, Botany Bay (Australia), the Great Barrier Reef, Niue, Tonga, Unalaska (in the Aleutians), and Hawaii. To my tastes, this book is a near-perfect travel essay. Not only are Cook's experiences described from the author's study of the great explorer's journals, but Horwitz paints a present-day picture of places that I'll likely never visit except in my mind's eye. And he writes with humor and perception. So, I'm both educated and entertained; it doesn't get better than that. The only thing lacking is a photo section - something illogically missing from too many travel narratives on the bookshelves. (Why most travel writers neglect to provide visual reinforcement remains a mystery to me.) Tony begins his book with a nice touch - his personal agony during five days as a volunteer sailor aboard a full-scale reconstruction of Cook's first ship, The Endeavor, as it sailed from Gig Harbor, WA, to Vancouver, BC. At the end of his short voyage, Horwitz and the reader marvel at the endurance of the 19th century swabbie during literally years at sea because, as the author describes himself: "My hands were so swollen and raw that I couldn't make a fist or do the buttons on my shirt. Every limb throbbed. My eyes twitched and blurred from fatigue ... (I had) tar stuck in my hair (and) grime embedded in every inch of exposed skin." Two-thirds of the way through the volume, in order to discover something of the inner Cook, Horwitz takes us to North Yorkshire, England, where the explorer was born in 1728, and where he took to sea from the Whitby docks in 1746 as a coal ship's apprentice. In the following chapter, it's on to London, where Cook lived with his wife between his celebrated voyages. Sadly, there are few genuine traces of the intrepid captain remaining on his home island. Admittedly, the modern world has taken cruel toll on the exotic places that so captivated Cook and his crews. For example, Horwitz describes Papeete, Tahiti as an overpriced, congested mass of billboards, car fumes, crumbling sidewalks, litter, and ferroconcrete. Even the monument on the Hawaiian beach commemorating the spot of Cook's death at the hands of the natives is marred with graffiti and surrounded by trash. Cook has been blamed by some as being the point man for West's destruction of Paradise. But, at the end of BLUE LATITUDES, this reader, at least, stands in awe of the man.
Rating: 
Summary: Into the Blue
Review: A wonderful way to learn about history and enjoy a travel tale at the same time. I laughed out loud during some of this. There is some rough language but really not much. I actually got this as a book on tape and it was a good travel companion.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent, informative, amusing book.
Review: Decent, informative, and amusing book.
(6 out of 10) Tony Horwitz' book, Blue Latitude, is part travelogue, and part history book. The author writes about his tales retracing the three voyages that Captain Cook took to the Pacific Ocean around 1770-1780. Horwitz' retracing is not exact nor the site visitations in chronological order with Cook's visits. This is mainly due to the logistics of travel. If memory serves me correctly, Horwitz visits the North west coast of America, then swings south to Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, back up to Cook islands, England, the island of Tonga, the Unalaska Alaskan Islands (you read that right) and onto Hawaii. The cultural and environmental demise of most of these islands is much the same. Materialism, missionaries, and venereal diseases would devastate each island, destroying much of the culture. Many would despise Cook's journey, but ironically, it would be Cook and his crew's journals that would help these islands reconstruct the traditions of their ancestors. Horwitz covers a lot of ground. From what it was like living on a ship, to the hardships of living in England, to the customs of Pacific culture. His manner is that of a well informed friend. There were times where you were pressing to know more, but overall, I was happy he gave perhaps a slightly more than cursory treatment of the various topics. Since I'm not a history buff, nor a serious traveler, but rather part of the "masses" on this subject, anything more than what Horwitz presents would have been nauseating details. Let me list some of the best parts of the book. The opening chapters describing Horwitz experience on replica of the Endeavor, the boat used by Cook on his first journey, really conveys to the reader the danger, and the toil that sea travel was back in the 18th century. That chapter was the most memorable, and it's lessons of hardship provides a good background for the rest of the book. Of course, that doesn't meant the rest of the book is all down hill. The Epicurean tastes of his best science officer, Banks who was a party animal, when contrasted against the hard life of the rest of Cook's crew was funny in a rather dark way. Perhaps the most intriguing story was the circumstances of Cook's death in Hawaii, and it is here I really wish Horwitz had gone into more detail. The modern day travels were also amusing. These include a traditional, drunken party in Australia celebrating Cook's discovery of Australia which to some degree reminds me of a crude Mardi Gras-like celebration in New Orleans. The quest for the Red banana on the island of Tonga, a traditional fruit believed to be forever lost. The brutally cold visits to the Unalaska islands of Alaska make you marvel at the temerity of Cook and his crew. And of course, there was Horwitz funny, drunk and quick-witted friend from Australia, Roger who would travel with Horwitz for most of the itinerary. Perhaps the most serious thing lacking in this book are the pictures. It would be great to see the ship that Cook sailed on. It would have been informative to see the before and after pictures of the various islands overrun by western culture. This book is neither a boring nor exciting. Think of this book as sitting down with a good friend and having him tell you his vacation stories. It's a pleasant experience, but since this is a book not a friend, you can't ask any questions and `direct' the conversation. In that sense the book can be frustrating. The friend-conversation analogy is apt. Just like friends, at times I wanted to know about Tony Horwitz, and not so much about his adventures. Horwitz came off as more a reporter, and I think his book could have benefited from telling us what exactly he was thinking at the time. Is it possible to think of Cook, every thought throughout the several months? Probably not. To that end, books similar to Blue Latitudes but where the authors have no problem telling you exactly what they were thinking, I recommend the following: Travels by Michael Crichton
Primate's Memoirs by Robert Sapolsky The first is about the spiritual awakenings of the author. The latter is about the author's adventures in Africa as a grad student studying primates. So in summary, Blue Latitude is a decent read filled with amusing anecdotes of history and of the author's travels. It's a light book, and because of that, you may not come away with any sort of wisdom. But for those who may be wondering what it would be like to adventure or vacation on the "high seas", then this book can provide you insight, and for some, it might just be the vacation they need.
Rating:
Summary: Decent, informative, amusing book.
Review: Decent, informative, and amusing book.
(6 out of 10) Tony Horwitz' book, Blue Latitude, is part travelogue, and part history book. The author writes about his tales retracing the three voyages that Captain Cook took to the Pacific Ocean around 1770-1780. Horwitz' retracing is not exact nor the site visitations in chronological order with Cook's visits. This is mainly due to the logistics of travel. If memory serves me correctly, Horwitz visits the North west coast of America, then swings south to Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, back up to Cook islands, England, the island of Tonga, the Unalaska Alaskan Islands (you read that right) and onto Hawaii. The cultural and environmental demise of most of these islands is much the same. Materialism, missionaries, and venereal diseases would devastate each island, destroying much of the culture. Many would despise Cook's journey, but ironically, it would be Cook and his crew's journals that would help these islands reconstruct the traditions of their ancestors. Horwitz covers a lot of ground. From what it was like living on a ship, to the hardships of living in England, to the customs of Pacific culture. His manner is that of a well informed friend. There were times where you were pressing to know more, but overall, I was happy he gave perhaps a slightly more than cursory treatment of the various topics. Since I'm not a history buff, nor a serious traveler, but rather part of the "masses" on this subject, anything more than what Horwitz presents would have been nauseating details. Let me list some of the best parts of the book. The opening chapters describing Horwitz experience on replica of the Endeavor, the boat used by Cook on his first journey, really conveys to the reader the danger, and the toil that sea travel was back in the 18th century. That chapter was the most memorable, and it's lessons of hardship provides a good background for the rest of the book. Of course, that doesn't meant the rest of the book is all down hill. The Epicurean tastes of his best science officer, Banks who was a party animal, when contrasted against the hard life of the rest of Cook's crew was funny in a rather dark way. Perhaps the most intriguing story was the circumstances of Cook's death in Hawaii, and it is here I really wish Horwitz had gone into more detail. The modern day travels were also amusing. These include a traditional, drunken party in Australia celebrating Cook's discovery of Australia which to some degree reminds me of a crude Mardi Gras-like celebration in New Orleans. The quest for the Red banana on the island of Tonga, a traditional fruit believed to be forever lost. The brutally cold visits to the Unalaska islands of Alaska make you marvel at the temerity of Cook and his crew. And of course, there was Horwitz funny, drunk and quick-witted friend from Australia, Roger who would travel with Horwitz for most of the itinerary. Perhaps the most serious thing lacking in this book are the pictures. It would be great to see the ship that Cook sailed on. It would have been informative to see the before and after pictures of the various islands overrun by western culture. This book is neither a boring nor exciting. Think of this book as sitting down with a good friend and having him tell you his vacation stories. It's a pleasant experience, but since this is a book not a friend, you can't ask any questions and 'direct' the conversation. In that sense the book can be frustrating. The friend-conversation analogy is apt. Just like friends, at times I wanted to know about Tony Horwitz, and not so much about his adventures. Horwitz came off as more a reporter, and I think his book could have benefited from telling us what exactly he was thinking at the time. Is it possible to think of Cook, every thought throughout the several months? Probably not. To that end, books similar to Blue Latitudes but where the authors have no problem telling you exactly what they were thinking, I recommend the following: Travels by Michael Crichton
Primate's Memoirs by Robert Sapolsky The first is about the spiritual awakenings of the author. The latter is about the author's adventures in Africa as a grad student studying primates. So in summary, Blue Latitude is a decent read filled with amusing anecdotes of history and of the author's travels. It's a light book, and because of that, you may not come away with any sort of wisdom. But for those who may be wondering what it would be like to adventure or vacation on the "high seas", then this book can provide you insight, and for some, it might just be the vacation they need.
Rating:
Summary: jaded history
Review: Horwitz must be complimented for undertaking visits to so many different places around the world, and for his admirable depth of research. What makes this book interesting is this research is the combination of traditional academic-style historical research and Horwitz's personal experiences during his contemporary visits. He speaks with locals in places as diverse as Cook Town, Australia, Unalaska in the Aleution islands, and Niue, a dot on the map of the pacific between Tahiti and Tonga. These contemporary local perspectives mesh with traditional historical studies on Cook's explorations to provide an enlightening perspective on the effect of Cook's explorations.
Unfortunately, this also makes Horwitz's account somewhat jaded. He makes places universally viewed as paradise sound like trash dumps. Tahiti, for example, comes across like some forlorn third-world country. This book reminded me of why I quit reading National Geographic: while I enjoyed reading about distant, exotic places, I got tired of constantly reading about how they were on the brink of ruin thanks to the relentless onslaught of humanity. I've seen recent pictures of Tahiti, and it doesn't look that bad. It does seem important to know that white man brought venereal and other diseases, pollution, and near-eradication and total subjugation of indigenous cultures. I'm just not sure what to do with that information.
The book is probably 3/5s travelogue and 2/5s history. People who enjoy reading either will benefit from this book. Just don't be surprised if, when you're done, you're not interested in visiting any of the places yourself.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let it sit there
Review: I purchased this book along with another. I decided to read the other one first, then I forgot all about Blue Latitudes. Long story short... I wish I never waited this long. This book akin to Bill Bryson's travel/history books, but Tony Horwitz has his own flavor of telling the story of fact through humor and excellent story telling. I have recommended and purchased copies for others who have enjoyed it as well. A wonderful documentary of an adventure of a respectable life. I learned to know and love who Capt. Cook was and appreciate the pressures he was under. He made good and bad decisions, but maintained respect all along. I always understood Captain Cook as a pirate. I wish the REAL stories could be taught in school as he deserves much more respect than Columbus, who in many ways led a DISrespectable life. Very well written, documented, full of life and often hilarious as seen through the experiences that Tony Horwitz went through to capture the essence and depth of the story behind the life of Captain Cook. At many times I felt like it was a fiction as Tony shares the discoveries behind Cook's life and you visualize the scene as if you were there too. You will not be disappointed in this book. Enjoy! Share!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author structures the book beautifully, going between Cook's explorations in the 18th century, and the author's own adventures as he revisits those places. Horvitz even has a buddy, single, engaged in drinking and whoring. Almost adds some comic relief, but also gives a different perspective on the places visited. For those interested, look into "The Longest Voyages" which chronicles Magellan and Drakes explorations. Not as good a book, but similar as it follows these first time European adventures into the unknown.
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: I wasn't all that interested in explorers until I read this book. since having done so, i have since read or am reading several other such non-fiction books.
I liked the book's comparison between Cook's day and today's reality: Tahiti, for example, conjures up images of a tropical paradise with a promise of escape from stress. Not so, it turns out. Today's Tahiti is polluted, crime-ridden, hot and buggy. - Not a place I would've imagined.
This book enlightened me via honestly describing real life. That's what I like.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: If you like Bill Bryson, you'll probably enjoy this book too. Tony Horwitz combines a travelogue with a biography of Captain Cook. Very insightful, yet humorous writing. I learned a lot about what effect Cook and the people who followed in his footsteps have had on the Polynesian culture. Horwitz is also a great speaker. I saw him on BookTV (C-SPAN2) a while ago, when the book first came out.
Rating:
Summary: The Discovery and the Aftermath
Review: In a way, this book comes in two flavors - Captain Cook's actual voyages, and the author's visiting the places that the captain had discovered. Of this, the three voyages are well known and have been written up sufficiently. But Horwitz puts an interesting slant on the natives Cook encountered rather than the discoveries themselves. We learn about the Tahitians and their customs, the Maoris of New Zealand, the Aborigines of Australia, and the people of Tonga, of Hawaii, and the Aleuts of Unalaska. He acquaints us with Cook's main helper, the biologist Joseph Banks, and some of his officers, such as William Bligh of later mutiny fame, and John Ledyard who is still remembered in Connecticut (ironically, the town bearing his name now sports a gigantic native Indian gambling casino). And so the islands were pristine and at peace. It is the author's aim to show us how this has changed into murder, thievery and disease. There are not many of the natives left and those he found were most anxious to forget about Cook. his discoveries and their aftermath. It would be wrong, of course, to blame all this on Cook. If it had not been for him, somebody else would have discovered the islands of the Pacific - and probably with the same results. The conclusion: One should not supplant an original culture with one's own imported one. Both will suffer and there will never be a satisfactory result. Yet such action continues into our 21st century.
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