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Summary: Richie's Picks: SEA OF GLORY
Review: "There ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." --Mark Twain "By this time the sound of the dragging anchors had become 'almost an incessant peal,' Dana wrote, 'announcing that the dreaded crisis was fast approaching.' "They had drifted to within a ship's length of the reef. One of the anchors finally caught and, for a few brief moments, the Relief hovered in the wild surge of the breakers. '[T]he ship rose and fell a few times with the swell,' Dana wrote, 'and then rose and careened as if half mad: her decks were deluged with the sweeping waves, which poured in torrents down the hatches.' The strain on the cables proved too much, and at 11:30 P.M. the anchor chain parted. '[W]e found ourselves,' Long wrote, 'at God's mercy.' " I am a major fan of Joy Hakim's American History series, THE HISTORY OF US. But looking back through it today, I am surprised. While Ms. Hakim devotes five pages to an excellent biographical introduction of Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838), the author of THE NEW AMERICAN PRACTICAL NAVIGATOR, there is not a single word in her entire series about Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, the man who was undoubtedly Bowditch's most important student. Hakim is not alone in having ignored Wilkes. I telephoned an eighth-grade student to check on our middle school's American History text. Again, no mention of Lieutenant Wilkes. Despite my own love for American History, if I've ever heard mention of Wilkes, it has certainly slipped my mind. And yet, as the commander of the U.S. Exploring Expedition (referred to as the Ex. Ex.), Wilkes led an incredibly ambitious and successful four-year journey that ranks right up there with that of Lewis and Clark. "By any measure, the achievements of the Expedition would be extraordinary. After four years at sea, after losing two ships and twenty-eight officers and men, the Expedition logged 87,000 miles, surveyed 280 Pacific Islands, and created 180 charts--some of which were still being used as late as World War II. The Expedition also mapped 800 miles of coastline in the Pacific Northwest and 1,500 miles of the icebound Antarctic coast. Just as important would be its contribution to the rise of science in America. The thousands of specimens and artifacts amassed by the Expedition's scientists would become the foundation of the collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Indeed, without the Ex. Ex., there might never have been a national museum in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Botanical Garden, the U.S. Hydrographic Office, and the Naval Observatory all owe their existence, in varying degrees, to the Expedition." So why is the groundbreaking work of the Expedition so widely ignored? That is the question that Nathaniel Philbrick both asks and provides answers for in his latest, thrilling volume of nonfiction, SEA OF GLORY. The reason for the Ex. Ex. having become a complex and controversial subject that is ignored by American history textbooks has to do with Wilkes. On one hand, Wilkes was one heck of a history-making marine surveyor, and one bold, daring, and determined hombre when it came to exploring uncharted seas and supervising collection of information and specimens. But he was an equally crazy, abusive, and evil SOB when it came to leading men and dealing with natives, Brits, superiors, subordinates, Friends, Romans, Countryman...(You get the idea.) And since what comes around goes around, his return to America after four years of such phenomenal successes was cause for a court-martial rather than a rolling out of the red carpet. The trouble began not long after the Expedition set sail. "All his life, Wilkes had cast himself as the righteous outsider who must battle against the forces of ignorance and ineptitude to achieve what others thought could never be done. He was the antithesis of the 'team player,' and as he had proven...more than a decade before, he was capable of turning on the people closest to him if he thought it served his best interests...
"A year into the Expedition, Wilkes had essentially re-created the environment in which he had always operated: it was he, and he alone, against the rest of the world. It was a turbulent, hurtful, and ultimately wasteful way to conduct one's life, but it was the only way he knew how to do it." Nathaniel Philbrick once again showcases his ability to meld primary source materials with commentary and background in a manner that grabs and holds readers. It is incredibly exciting to travel with these nineteenth century Americans as they dodge icebergs, challenge dangerous straits, and climb Mauna Kea. It is truly fascinating to read about the disparities between what had at that time previously been reported--even in the well-traveled Atlantic--and that which Wilkes surveyed. As the author points out, "As the Ex. Ex. was proving, exploration was as much about discovering what did not exist as it was about finding something new." The book is immersed in the rich mathematical and scientific background information that is necessary to really understand the Expedition's procedures and accomplishments. But what is also thought-provoking--particularly in the context of today's communications revolution where we can be in touch with anyone, anywhere (including Mars) at a moment's notice--is that a vital and pivotal U.S. government operation and its commander could operate for four long years without word one passing between Wilkes and either his military superiors or civilian government officials in Washington, D.C. (Then again I suppose, considering testimony in the current highly publicized hearings going on, some might say that, "Things never change.") SEA OF GLORY reveals a significant chunk of American History that--as with the many aficionados of the Lewis and Clark Trail--will have readers wanting to visit Pacific Islands, Antarctic peninsulas, and Pacific Northwest landmarks. Thanks to Nathaniel Philbrick, the U.S. Exploring Expedition and its remarkable-yet-flawed leader will be given its due in our nation's history.
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Summary: The U.S. Ex. Ex.
Review: I always enjoy reading a book about American History that tells me something about a topic of which I am completely ignorant. Before reading this book, I had no knowledge about the 1838-1842 circumnavigation of the globe that this expedition conducted. The author has taken a long-forgotten journey from our country's past and brought it to the attention of a new century, and for that he should be thanked. There were many benefits garnered from this trip, such as the founding of the Smithsonian, which is quite important to our nation. The narrative of the journey, and the various personalities involved, is extremely lively and interesting, and makes for fascinating reading. Discovering the almost unlimited power which the captain of a sailing ship had over his crew is quite chilling, and very foreign to those of us who today believe in individual freedom. The writing is first rate, and it moves along quite readily. If you want to learn something new about your country, and have a good read while doing it, I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: Brilliant work by Philbrick
Review: It was a review of this book in the National Geographic Adventure magazine which first caught my eye, and prompted me to purchase Philbrick's excellent narrative of the US Exploring Expedition. The Expedition sailed from Norfolk, USA, carrying the scientific and exploratory hopes of the United States on a trip to South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Asia that encompasses nearly 5 years. Over 500 men, in 6 ships left in 1838, to return in 1842, much reduced in number, but with enough scientific specimens (over 4000) to form a large portion of the Smithsonian collection. Commanded by Lieutenant Wilkes, the story of the US Ex. Ex has largely been forgotten, but Philbrick has produced a book which hopefully will bring to the forefront the achievements of the US Ex. Ex and its' men. "Sea of Glory" is truly a spectacular rendition of events, as Philbrick portrays the deterioration of the relationship between Commander and his men, while journeying through some of most inhospitable seas in the world. Wilkes comes across as a near megalomaniac and odious character (almost immediately after beginning the expedition, he promoted himself Captain!), belittling the achievements of his underlings and inflating his own. It is a miracle that he was succeeded in bringing the expedition home largely unscathed. Nor does the story end there. The final chapters reveal the trials and tribulations of Wilkes (and other members of the expedition) as he realizes that he may be held accountable for his actions. Upon return of the expedition, there were no fewer than 5 court martials involving Wilkes and officers of the vessels comprising the expedition, largely petty incidents raised by Wilkes as revenge for perceived slights by the officers. Philbrick writes extremely well, in a very fluid and easy manner, and it takes little effort to read. Large portions of the book are based upon the journal of Midshipman Reynolds, once an ardent admirer of his commander but by the conclusion of the expedition despising him. Philbrick superbly brings this out, contrasting parts of the journal from early on in the voyage to sections of the journal written much later, the journal's author much jaded and embittered by the actions of his commander. But Philbrick does not focus only on Wilkes; the achievements of the expedition are also discussed, and the sometimes incredibly imposing situations the expedition faces, such as the attack by natives on the expedition in the Fiji Islands which resulted in the death of Wilkes' nephew. A book of this type benefits from having illustrations and maps, and on neither account does it fail. There are a number of maps produced in the book, although I have to say the main map (in the preface), which traces the voyage of the expedition throughout the 5 years it spent abroad, is a little hard to follow due to the back and forth nature of parts of the expedition, and also when the expedition split up for short periods of time. There are two sections of very nice illustrations which show the main characters involved and some events that occurred. "Sea of Glory" is a true story that ranks alongside the best of adventure books, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. A worthy addition to the library.
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Summary: Splendid recounting of the forgotten Wilkes expedition
Review: Nathaniel Philbrick offers a splendid, often engaging, account of the United States Exploring Expedition - known to its participants as the Ex. Ex. - commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes from 1838 to 1842; the first major scientific enterprise undertaken by the United States. Philbrick offers a fascinating account of the meglomanical Wilkes - whom some say was Herman Melville's true-life inspiration for Captain Ahab - and his single-minded determination to see the expedition succeed at all costs, inspite of notable self-imposed obstacles such as his nervous breakdown on at least one occasion and frequent hostility between his most gifted subordinates and himself. Philbrick shines in describing the expedition's journey around the globe, noting major discoveries made by distinguished scientists such as geologist James Dana. The exploration's vast natural history and ethnography collections would become eventually an important part of the early collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Indeed, Wilkes's expedition is credited now with the first accurate surveys of the Oregon and Washington coast, much of the Central and South Pacific and parts of Antarctica. Unfortunately, Philbrick's splendid narrative bogs down a bit towards the end in the political wrangling and courts-martial that ensured the expedition's fall into obscurity, after the return of the surviving ships and crew (Remarkably Wilkes lost less than fifty men to disease, warfare with hostile South Pacific natives and shipwreck, but did have a substantial turnover in officers and crew due to his mercurial nature.). Still, to Philbrick's credit, he has written an important, long-overdue look at the U. S. Exploring Expedition which should help restore both its importance - and Wilkes's - to American history, especially with regards to exploration and science.
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Summary: Important and entertaining US maritime history
Review: One of the many questions Sea of Glory raises is how could this amazing four-year voyage have rated so little attention from historians? Herein lies Philbrick's greatest achievement, telling the story. And what a story it is. Over three year's worth of sea faring adventures when much of the Pacific Ocean (then more commonly known as the South Seas) and its isles were uncharted and the Antarctic was still not a geographic fact.
While the EX EX had numerous encounters with natives, both those predisposed to violence such as in Fiji, and those who welcomed foreign sailors with open arms (to say the least) such as the Tahitians, it was the expedition's scientific achievements that were most notable.
Much of their findings influenced much of what the United States was to know about the Pacific, Antarctic and numerous islands, peoples, plants and animals.
That in itself is a not for an enriching even entertaining book. But as the TV ads say: there's more! The story of the expedition's leader, Charles Wilkes, is a fascinating character study. Philbrick gives Wilkes his due for his surveying skills and his necessarily aggressive leadership. But Wilkes had an uncanny ability to annoy, hurt and offend his underlings and had a tendency to capricious decisions and frequently folding under pressure. These intrigues add considerable spice to the story. As he did with his earlier masterpiece, "Heart of Sea" Philbrick expertly draws all characters, from the primary to the supporting cast. Keeping up with all of them was a difficult task that the author was certainly up to.
Sea of Glory is not just a wonderful addition to American and maritime history; it fills a void in it. I'm sure I join countless other readers in eagerly awaiting Philbrick's next work.
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Summary: A very compelling telling
Review: People interested in American History should not pass this up! A re-discovery of our past and fascination in the exploration of the Pacific and Antarctica lost to the discovery of gold in California is vividly read by Dennis Boutsikaris. A telling of the turbulent leadership of Charles Wilkes is revealed as well as the Naval politics of the pre-civil war.
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Summary: draws attention to important american expedition
Review: Philbrick does an exceptional job making a daunting task actually interesting. This isn't the usual type of book I read but the author managed to make it interesting to me. One of the problems though is the sheer amount of characters and people that are involved with this story so at points the reader may almost feel overwhelmed by all these characters. Overall an amusing and informative read.
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Summary: All the joy of recovered history
Review: Philbrick is undoubtedly one of the finest maritime writers working today. I thought his previous book, on the whaleship Essex, was excellent, but in the breadth of the tale told, Sea of Glory surpasses it. This book deserves wide attention, not the least for helping restore to history a fascinating tale of exploration that has simply vanished from America's history books: A four year journey round the globe, in which the existence of the Antarctic continent is proven, many islands of the South Sea and the Pacific Northwest surveyed for the first time and charted, and thousands upon thousands of plant, animal, and ethnographic specimens collected, which became the founding collections of the Smithsonian. Indeed, Philbrick makes clear that many US scientific organizations owe their start to the "US Ex Ex." In addition to US Ex Ex's accomplishments, Philbrick tells of many, sometimes deadly, adventures -- ships wrecked and battered by storms, encounters with island natives, even a very short "war." Finally, there is the all important human element: One reason the US Ex Ex vanished was the way the journey ended -- in courts martial and wrangling. The commander of the expedition, Wilkes, managed to turn his many young officers from ardent admirers into bitter enemies, through his fierce ambitions, paranoia, and other deep personal flaws -- which in turn may have colored Melville's portrait of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. I'm very glad to have found this book. Be sure to look through the excellent bibliography as well, which is a goldmine of sources for more information on US expeditions and early science.
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Summary: Stunning, Complete, and Even
Review: This book is astounding. Philbrick is even-handed, clear, and thorough. This book chronicles a time in American maritime history that has previously been almost totally overlooked.
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Summary: Missing History Recovered
Review: This book is outstanding. How can such a piece of history go missing? Through these pages, Philbrook has provided us with an important nautical accomplishment. You will be taken around the world with a crew that is under the command of a most peculiar character. You will travel to various islands in the Atlantic and Pacific, the Antarctic (my personal favorite), South America, visit North America of a time past, and, perhaps most interestingly, you will travel in the minds of those who embarked on this journey. You will return from this journey with the realization that its discoveries are still within your own reach. Really.
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