Rating: 
Summary: An extraordinary tale of a great explorer
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: An extraordinary tale of a great explorer
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very insightful, a full fledged account
Review: This wonderful book covers the three voyages of Captain Cook and his exploration of the Pacific Ocean. Cook's first voyage explored the islands of the pacific. His second voyage tried to find 'the southern continent' Antarctica. The third voyage explored the North pacific and ended with the death of Captain Cook at the hands of the natives of a pacific Island. Cook was responsible for mapping much of the pacific ocean and its many islands. His voyage was the first to sketch the giant stone sculptures of Easter Island(Rapa Nui). He circled New Zealand, mapped parts of Australia, explored the Bering straight, kidnapped Polynesian Chiefs on islands like Tahiti and tried, in vain, to discover Antarctica(all he found was a sheet of ice but not land). Cook was a giant in his own time. He dealt with many powerful native tribes and his men catalogued the lives of these native peoples long before they were spoiled by colonization and western ways. This book is full more then fifty sketches of the tribes he encountered and the items he saw. This is simply a wonderful accurate and thoroughly researched account of Captain Cook and his voyages and contributions. Anyone interested in Polynesia, exploration or the sea will find this account fascinating.
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