Discoveries: The Voyages Of Captain Cook

by Nicholas Thomas

Cook's great voyages marked the end of an era in world history. As he sailed into Hawaii in January 1778, he made contact with the last of the human civilizations to grow up independently of the rest of the world. But equally for the Polynesians and Melanesians of the Pacific, Cook's arrival in their midst merely marked a further (if disastrous) twist in diverse histories already many centuries old. In this immensely enjoyable and absorbing book, Cook's journeys are reimagined, attempting to leave behind (or master) our later preoccupations to let us see what Cook and his associates experienced and what the societies he encountered experienced - from the Beothuks of Newfoundland to the Tongans of the Friendly Islands.

Genres: History, Travel, Nonfiction, 18th Century, Biography

512 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Aidan EP · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary and humble account of Cook’s voyages that is refreshingly inquisitive, dealing with sources transparently and acknowledging gaps where they occur (and there are many). Thomas weaves history, historiography, geography and anthropology deftly throughout the book, which though dense was remarkably readable. Altogether he has created a fine narrative history that gives due reverence to Indigenous voices - even if in many cases these voices must be heard between the lines of European sources - and critically engages with colonial texts. Altogether, he has attempted to construct the myriad figures that populate one of the most mythologised narratives in history (at least in Australia and across the Pacific), as people: often fallible, conniving, intelligent, strategic, miscalculating, emotional, tempestuous, loving, prideful, humble - and ultimately multidimensional. This resulted in a history that brings the events of the voyages into vibrant a vibrant, full-colour narrative; but a colour narrative that acknowledges its blank spots and critiques its actors where necessary.

[Patrick Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely fascinating and, so far as I can make out, exquisitely and carefully fair-handed book about a subject I knew little about.

[Graham Catt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive account of Cook’s three Pacific voyages, with a focus on interactions with the indigenous peoples. Fascinating.

[Stephen Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Relating the events of James Cook’s three voyages of discovery, the book takes a gratifyingly sociological view of events, focusing largely on the interaction between Cook and his British officers, crew, and scientists and artists, and the various indigenous people they met: Maori, Tahitians, Hawaiians etc. This is neither a hagiography nor a bleeding-heart liberal tome. It’s fair minded, well written, and never less than enjoyable. The complex rites and social niceties of, for instance, the Hawaiians – who in the end killed Cook in the surf of their own beach – are explained, but not with such complexity as to reduce the impact of the event. Fair time is given to other officers’ interpretations of events, while much use is made of first hand accounts and other historical sources. With maps, paintings and a simple chronological narrative, this is a terrific read. Highly recommended.

[Daniele · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you get to read this book without being forced to for some school project, it's probably because you love adventures and explorations of far away places, and spent hours on Google Maps exploring tiny green dots in the Pacific. I was so excited to get to learn and read in his own words about getting for the first time ever in contact with lands and people coming from a different planet. Discovering the Moai of Easter island and seeing heaven on earth. And yet all Cook and his comrades write is a long list of dull statements about winds, coordinates, clothing, plants. I get it, most of the content comes from Cook's diary, which was written as a daily log for the admiralty, not as an adventure novel. And yes, there are few passages that are actually interesting. But still, the stark contrast between how exciting is the topic and how dull is the writing makes this book a huge disappointment. I picked it up thrice, dropped it twice and then sadly wrote this.

[Larkin H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggled to get into the book as I felt the author was too opinionated and didn't let the story flow from the start. However, I enjoyed it much more as it went on. By the end I thoroughly enjoyed it and I cannot imagine having an educated discussion about Capt. Cook without reading this first. Cook was a complicated figure but not nearly the villain that the anti-colonial movement makes him out to be. Thomas delicately balances the many sides of this dedicated explorer with the impact that his voyages ultimately had on the places he visited. As much as possible he also tries to introduce information about these native peoples and tribes, which of course Cook was not privy to, but is very useful for the modern reader.

[Giorgia Wollner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and well documented, centred on Captain Cook’s voyages throughout the Pacific, a reconstruction based upon several diaries, books and correspondence. The narrator is generally objective and Thomas tries to give you a perspective on both sides, how the British approached local cultures and how the different nations, depending on their backgrounds, interacted with the foreigners.

[Greg Joffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous book, focusing on the interactions between Cook and his crew as they arrived at and engaged with a whole range of cultures, most of whom had never before seen Europeans. And considers the long-term impacts on all of the islands in the South Pacific, Hawaii, New Zealand etc. Extremely interesting distillation from Cook’s, Banks’ and other journals.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best history books I’ve read. Erudite, balanced in its views, sifting through the evidence and giving a ‘best efforts’ narrative while acknowledging where there are gaps in it. Highly readable and absolutely fascinating.

[Camus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written with an excellent turn of phrase. Seeks to remediate the image of Cook at every turn, but is so well researched it's hard to argue the point

[Mr P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Superb book. Hugely informative and I think striking a healthy balance in weighing up Cook's legacy. I would highly recommend it.

[Lewis Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, especially the first half. Hearing the day-to-day adventures of Cook and his crew is really exciting, especially whenever they’re encountering strange islands or new people.

I dropped a star due to some chapters being incredibly slow. Some chapters just feel like nothing really happens, or that multiple pages are dedicated to explaining a really insignificant element of the day. I also found some chapters to feel repetitive by the end. Finally, I really didn’t enjoy the introduction, and went into the book with a really sour mood because I found the introduction confusing and incredibly dull since it seemed really disjointed and lacking a clear point/story.

Despite those negatives though I found this book to be an incredible retelling of Cook’s in-depth adventures!

[K.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating, well researched and well written. *Discoveries* brings to life an amazing series of stories and events and shows them to be much more complex than most retellings of this period of history often lead us to believe.

The only thing that can be said to be negative was the decision to have the pictures of painting and artifacts included in small black and white images inset with the text rather than in larger colored versions which would show more detail.

[Mark Thuell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing book that somewhat gets under the skin of Cook.Short on details on ship,conditions,hardship and general place in history.