Rating: 
Summary: Blue Latitudes
Review: Less about Capt. Cook's voyages and more about the exploits of the author and his drinking buddy, Roger. By way of example, a half dozen pages describing Cook's 3rd voyage (of four years) and many times more describing a few of the sites visited by Cook as they are today. The book was written in an easy style, but failed to describe at all many of Cook's significant exploits and discussed others in a superficial way. I found myself skimming past the drinking episodes to read the few pages about Cook. The book had some good (but less than complete) maps of the voyages, a postage stamp sized reproduction of a portrait of Cook on the inside leaf, and no other photos (one would expect a few pictures of the more memorable sites visited).
Rating: 
Summary: Feels Like I Read This Somewhere Else
Review: A worthy book, but slow in many places, and often reading like a rehash of Martin Dugard's "Farther Than Any Man."
Rating: 
Summary: Horwitz, Out of the "Attic"
Review: Tony Horwitz had a tough task in following up his massively successful "Confederate in the Attic." Give him credit, "Blue Latitudes" certainly is no quickie effort to cash in on Horwitz's now-famous name. Instead, the author travelled tens of thousands of miles researching the legacy of Captain James Cook, arguably the greatest of all European explorers. Like "Attic" the book is part history, part travelogue and part social commentary. Horwitz includes mnay more historical information this time out, most likely because far fewer readers are intimately familiar with Cook's voyages than the Civil War.Horwitz starts his journey by sailing on a replica of Cook's first ship Endurance to get a feel for 18th Century shipboard life. He then spends most of the remaining time traipsing around the Pacific with his Australian friend Roger, who provides the same kind of narrative counterpoint as Robert Lee Hodge did in "Attic." Horwitz documents the changes that have occurred in Oceania because of Cook's "discoveries" and interviews numerous islanders to find out how they feel about Cook's legacy. The results are often surprising and enlighteneing. Having said all of that, "Blue Latitudes" is not a classic on the order of "Attic." The narrative is a lengthy at nearly 450 pages and is sluggish at times. Companion Roger is not nearly as interesting a character as was Hodge and the moments of uproarious humor that made "Attic" so entertaining are mostly missing this time out. Nevertheless, "Blue Latitudes" is still a well-written and worthwhile read for those with an interest in the subject matter.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding history and travelogue
Review: I loved this book. It grabbed me from the moment I started it through the end. Horwitz gives you history of the European discovery of the Pacific, what it was like to be on a ship for months at a time in the 18th century, as well as a feel for the islands and indigenous history of the region. He mixes Cook's journal and experiences with what he finds today, and the local population's perception of the events of the time, and the lasting impact of the meeting. In addition, it's a fun travelogue. Horwitz and his sometime traveling partner from Australia, Roger, romp around the Pacific taking in and enjoying the people and cultures -- and the alcohol. His insignts in to the cultures are perceptive and witty. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. If you ever dreamed of taking off for Tahiti, after reading this book the urge will be irresistible.
Rating:
Summary: A sympathetic, multicultural, Capt. Cook.
Review: Horwitz, who is a veteran in the travelogue/history genre, sets about to rescue Cook's threatened reputation from those who view him as the first "conquistordor" of the Pacific isles he alledgedly "discovered" in his three epic 18th century voyages. Horwitz, while giving ample voice to those inhabitants of these lands who look upon Cook as an unmitigated disaster for their peoples and cultures, and admitting the toxic influence of those Westerners who descended upon the Pacific in Cook's wake, potrays a much more liberal-minded explorer who appreciated the peoples and cultures he met and mingled with, more of an enlightenment figure than we have previously supposed. Indeed, Horwitz argues that one of the reasons that Cook is not celebrated or memorialized in Britain as lavishly as Nelson and Wellington, is that he was not a military hero, was more explorer than conqueror.
Horwitz pays Cook his due, pointing out the sheer difficulty and hardship of his navigations, and meanders around the Pacific in his steps, talking to all sorts of characters that he meets along the way, both about Cook, the past, and the present state of Pacific affairs. And for comic relief he brings along, quite by accident he tells us but one can't imagine making the trip without him, his Falstaffian pal Roger, with a bottle in both hands,and a jaundiced eye and bawdy quip when things threaten to get too serious. Fans of Horwitz, Cook, travel writing, or a yen for the Pacific isles will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Horwitz does it again...
Review: Tony Horwitz has had two back-to-back smash hits in his Pulitzer prize-winner Baghdad Without a Map and the critically acclaimed Confederates in the Attic. He now has added another gem to his body of work in Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before. James Cook seems largely to be forgotten to history. Yet, his was probably the most incredible voyage of discovery. Just the story of how Cook came to be a navigator is a fascinating one. In a day where the children of laborers did not receive an education, a mentor took notice of Cook and paid for four years of school. Cook was ambitious and worked hard to fill in the gaps in his education. As a teen, he moved from a store clerk to working on a coal ship to finally joining the Royal Navy, where he rose very rapidly through the ranks. The tales of Cook's three voyages to the Pacific are an unbelievable story. This man of humble beginnings became one of the world's greatest explorers. In the course of 10 years, his Pacific travels covered over 200,000 miles at a time when one third of the world was unknown and unmapped. He traveled "140 of the earth's 180 degrees latitude, as well as its entire longitude." He probably named more places (rivers, islands, points, bays, bluffs, etc.) than any other man, before or since. He was a shrewd handler of men--both those above and below him in rank. He was a prolific writer of journals and logs, which are still read today. Cook was also a brilliant surveyor and chart maker, and his map of New Zealand was used up until the 1990's (when it was finally replaced by satellite images). His voyages also led to the discovery of thousands of new plants and animals, and his claiming land for Britain helped to eventually lead Britain in becoming a major empire that spanned 11 thousand miles. But what makes Blue Latitudes a true delight is Horwitz's travelogue. In his attempt to follow in Cook's footsteps and see locations as Cook might have seen them, Horwitz travels to Canada, Tahiti, Bora-Bora, New Zealand, Australia, Niue, Tonga, England, Alaska and Hawaii. With his sidekick Roger, his travels are often hysterical. His week spent on a replica of the Endeavour (complete with 14 inches of hammock space) is especially a hoot. But it is also depressing to discover that the European explorers (not just Cook) changed the way of life on these islands. Many brought with them disease, STD's, materialism and religion. They also tried to eradicate the native culture and native populations. Horwitz also discovered that while Cook is revered in England, he is pretty much reviled among the Pacific nations he visited. Yet ironically, journals, diaries, logs and sketches from Cook's travels are in some cases the only record of these native cultures. It was also distressing to Horwitz was to discover that very little actually exists from Cook's time. Places he lived, worshipped and worked are pretty much gone. The sites he visited are also much changed. Cliff Thornton, president of the Captain Cook Society told Horwitz that "the best you can do is catch an echo of the man. You can almost never reach out and touch him." The only thing lacking from this almost perfect book is pictures. There are plenty of maps and a painting of Cook. It would have been fascinating to see photos of the many places Horwitz traveled. I don't expect to be traveling to Bora-Bora, Tonga, Niue, Tahiti, or the other locations mentioned any time soon. Still, Blue Latitudes is a wonderful book and even those not much interested in history will find a fascinating story here.
Rating:
Summary: An Enjoyable Modern Travelogue
Review: "Blue Latitudes" is entertaining and informative, both concerning Captain Cook, and the modern day situation of all his various landfalls. Horowitz essentially has written a biography of the navigator, and added in his own story about globe-hopping in the man's wake.
And it is interesting, believe me. The almost universal hatred of Cook in the South Seas, the aimless violence of Maori gangs, sailing aboard a replica of the Endeavor, all of these things are contrasted with a gritty picture of life during the actual explorations. Punishment, navigation, nutrition, everything sea-story readers want.
But, while I enjoyed the book, it wasn't exactly my sort of travelogue. The biographical bits were great, but the modern stuff didn't interest me that much. It focused mainly on the culture of these places today, and while that is interesting, I was hoping for a bit more of the wilderness. Of course, perhaps that was the whole point. There is no wilderness anymore.
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: 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: 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.
|
