In Search of Captain Cook: Exploring the Man through His Own Words

by Daniel O'Sullivan

Captain James Cook was a master voyager and a seeker of knowledge who commanded three demanding scientific expeditions. He and his crews had encounters with peoples of the South Seas which led to mutual respect and trade, but also to misunderstanding and violence. His death at the hands of Hawaiians turned him into a legendary figure, a hero of the Enlightenment who was said to have sacrificed his life bringing ""civilization"" to the Pacific.Yet despite everything that is known about this sea captain's many adventures, the man himself remains shrouded in mystery. In this book, Dan O'Sullivan casts vivid light on Cook's character, teasing out his personality from the pages of his own journals.

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2008

Reviews

[Tim Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a look behind the legend and examines the man and the myth that was and remains for us as Captain Cook, the archetypal explorer. A man of reason, a man of science, a self-made man of humble origin who attained his loftiest goals and was a capable and eminently competent leader of men - but ultimately, still a man like any other; a person both flawed and whole. O'Sullivan's book is not so much a biography as rather a series of biographical essays, setting James Cook in the context of his times and examining distinct facets of his character and conduct throughout the course of his three famous voyages. Whilst reading this book I was also reading Cook's journals and found In Search of Captain Cook to be an excellent companion piece. The book wears its scholarship lightly and hence strikes a perfect balance creating for the reader an assured sense of absolute fascination. I highly recommend it.