Morning of Fire: John Kendrick's Daring American Odyssey in the Pacific

by Scott Ridley

Morning of Fire by Scott Ridley is the thrilling story of 18th century American explorer and expeditioner John Kedrick as he journeyed for land and trade in the Pacific. Set against the backdrop of one of the most exciting and uncertain times in world history, John Kendrick’s odyssey aboard his sailing ship Lady Washington carries him from the shores of New England across the unexplored waters of the Pacific Northwest to the contentious ports of China and the war-ravaged islands of Hawaii, all while avoiding intrigues and traps from the British and the Spanish. Morning of Fire is riveting American and naval history that brings the era of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson gloriously alive—a tale of danger, adventure, and discovery that fans of Nathaniel Philbrick will not want to miss.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, American Revolution, Nautical

464 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2010

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a lifelong bibliophile and former bookstore manager on Cape Cod who majored in English and History I have a deep interest in local and maritime history. The dramatic saga of John Kendrick's is an oft-forgotten but fascinating corner of post-Revolutionary American History. Too bad Mr. Ridley's book falls flat as a dull recitation of facts, sometimes rushed, sometimes tedious and pedantic.

Fans of maritime history would be fascinated to read the story of John Kendrick's groundbreaking expedition to the Pacific. It is the compelling story set 4 years after the American Revolution when the fledgeling country needed to gain strength and financial independence by bolstering trade. A group of Boston financiers backed the Columbia Expedition with Kendrick at the helm. Kendrick set off in 1787 with The Lady Washington and The Columbia Rediviva and his crew, traveling to Alaska, Washington State, British Columbia, Hawaii, China and Japan. 17 years before the Lewis and Clark expedition Kendrick established an American trade outpost on what would become Vancouver Island. The voyage was fraught with various difficulties and ultimately ends with Kendrick's untimely and suspicious death. The battle for territory and trade on the high seas is a fascinating story but rendered so ploddingly and dully by the author that it's drier than dust. The life of the story and any real sense of the charismatic Kendrick are lost in the monotonous, rambling storytelling. While the bibliography is indeed extensive, it makes one wonder if Ridley hasn't just regurgitated the work of others without bringing any original insight to the table. The disorganized, haphazard timeline was one of the most glaring difficulties to overcome. The pacing of the book was at times tedious. At other times events seem rushed through, particularly the strange events surrounding Kendrick's demise, which was told in a manner so abrupt as to seem curt and dismissive. Reading this book I quite honestly felt like I was perusing the notecards accompanying a middle school shoebox diorama cribbed from the Encyclopedia. There was no vivacity and life to a story that complains plenty of compelling and exciting detail, just a dull reiteration of events, marred by occasional speculative stabs at Kendrick's motivation. It is a handsomely bound book with nice maps and illustrations but that's the best I can say-it's all style, no substance.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: This review originally ran in the Barnstable Patriot 05-Nov-2010

It is a recurring phenomenon. Every few years a man turns to the topic of John Kendrick and the Columbia Expedition. Building upon the work of those preceding him, he produces a work with a modicum of extra insight into the story of the first American voyage around the world.

It makes the rounds of local history groups and is placed on the shelves of libraries. And then the skipper from Cape Cod who led the first American voyage around the world sinks back into the recesses of public consciousness.

Thus comes Scott Ridley’s attempt at the same, Morning of Fire. Sadly, the Harwich author’s effort comes out of the Grandpa Simpson School of historical storytelling. “The result, I hope,” he writes, “contributes to a broader understanding of this seminal voyage and sparks the vital scholarship it deserves.” Instead of pushing the conversation forward, the effect is like hitting a wall of molasses.

Amidst post-Revolutionary War recession, a group of Boston merchants financed a risky private venture. Using information from the voyages of James Cook, they would replace the old triangular trade in the Atlantic (New England rum to Africa, slaves to the Caribbean for sugar, sugar back to New England for rum) with a global model. Sea otter furs in the Pacific Northwest could be had from the natives for the buttons off a sailor’s coat. The furs would be traded in China for porcelain, silk and tea, and the exchange would yield a fortune back home.

Commanding was Captain John Kendrick, who grew up on the shores of Cape Cod’s Pleasant Bay. The former privateer led the ship Columbia Rediviva and sloop Lady Washington off to the Pacific, where they met with some success and more problems. Prices of furs had inflated, while the Spanish, English and Russians vied for control of the region. Abandoned by his second-in-command Robert Gray in China, Kendrick stayed on for a total of seven years in the Pacific before dying under questionable circumstances in Hawaii.

The details are compelling, as my now-17 years following the Columbia and Kendrick around the world can attest.

But lack of content has not failed to make John Kendrick’s voyage stick in common knowledge. That would denigrate the great work of historians Howay, Cross, Parkin, Nokes and Scofield, upon whose shoulders Ridley clearly stands. Rather, the armchair historian approach fails to engage younger audiences. As the reader tries to choke down all of Ridley’s facts, the main ingredient gets lost.

Despite his blank background in the subject (his previous works were on electricity policy), Morning of Fire was Ridley’s chance to give this “the scholarship it deserves.” Instead, too much loosely-associated background and a timeline that jumps around haphazardly leaves the reader much like the grandchild at the foot of a rambling elder – bored, half-listening and wondering, “Where’s the cookie I was supposed to get for sitting through all this?”

Ridley uses the familiar artifice of opening with the dramatic first rounding of Cape Horn and the entrance to the Pacific -- only to whip back to earlier business. But he confoundingly ignores the role of John Ledyard in passing Cook’s story to the Boston merchants via Thomas Jefferson’s Paris salon.

A close reading immediately shows holes. On page one, Ridley calls Columbia a “snub-hulled brig.” To any mariner, this sends up warning flags. A brig is a sailing vessel with two masts. Said to have been built on the Scituate side of the North River in 1773, Columbia had three masts. It was a ship, not a brig. This glaring mistake is like opening Seabiscuit by referring to the champion thoroughbred as a Shetland pony.

Too much time is spent on events in Europe and not on the story of Kendrick himself. There is plenty of drama in the historical record, but too often it is skimmed over or mentioned in afterthought. And in this tragedy, Kendrick’s demise feels rushed. One wonders if Ridley had a true connection with his subject, or simply with the idea of writing a 400-page book.

This book does not know what it wants to be. Ridley’s imaginings of events crowd in with the facts. Assertions that were news to me revealed no source in the notes. Dramatic license is the realm of historical fiction, but the author gins up a true story that is marvelous without it. While the bibliography is extensive, it was hard to take the book seriously.

Morning of Fire also fails to fully credit the work of previous authors. Mention of the groundbreaking work of Captain Gray in the Pacific Northwest and Columbia’s River is absent. John Scofield’s Hail Columbia is listed, but Ripley pays the backhanded compliment to his West Coast predecessors only as “that region’s scholars whose work I have cited.”

Worse is Ridley’s treatment of a reputed massacre perpetrated by Kendrick. Recounted in Christie Harris’ Raven's Cry, the native account of a violent conflict between the Washington and the people of Haida Gwaii (a/k/a Queen Charlotte Islands) is conspicuously omitted. This is a complicated event and, for the Haida, a painful memory to this day. Yet Morning of Fire, by ignoring the Haida, becomes a piece of pro-Kendrick propaganda that does the historical record an injustice.

With all this effort, it still fails. If, as Ridley implies, Morning of Fire is an appetizer, he is late to the party. Instead, he brings warmed-up leftovers with filling of dubious provenance. For a lively, informative book on the topic by an author with a family connection to the story, readers should turn to Oregon Historical Society’s Hail, Columbia!: Robert Gray, John Kendrick, and the Pacific Fur Trade by Scofied. For real authority, definitely read Nokes' Columbia's River. The voyages of Robert Gray, 1787 - 1793.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the late 1780s the American colonies have miraculously defeated the British in the Revolutionary War. The future of the newly independent colonies was, however, by no means assured. The colonies faced growing debt, ports were closed to American ships throughout most of Europe and the Atlantic, and the newly written constitution had not been ratified, so even the political future of the not yet United States even hung in the balance.

With this backdrop a group of investors decided to finance an expedition designed to explore the west coast of North America and to establish an American trading post or settlement there, as well as to cultivate sources for valuable commodities such as sea otter pelts, whale ambergris, and whatever else may be available. But who could these investors, some of whom were former members of the "Sons of Liberty" from Revolution days? They approached John Kendrick. During the Revolutionary War he sailed a converted merchantman (ship) turned privateer for the American cause. He took prizes, and was known for his ability to manage a crew and a ship for extended periods of time at sea and away from his home port, as well as for his abilities as a person who knew how to open doors and develop deep and meaningful associations.

Kendrick saw this opportunity as more than a chance to see more of the world than he had ever seen before, and more than his chance to be the first American to circumnavigate the globe. He had a deeper vision of a chance to do his part to establish American interests in the Pacific, and to open ports, obtain riches, and maybe even some glory in the endeavor. So in 1787 he set sail with two ships, a sloop and a brig, with a combined crew of 51 men, including his two oldest sons. They sailed south, rounded Cape Horn, and entered the Pacific.

Kendrick remained in the north Pacific the next seven years. While there he established a trading base at Nootka Bay on what is now known as Vancouver Island, he sailed to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and interacted profitably with King Kamehameha and many other Hawaiian kings and princes, he sailed to Macao in southern China twice, was the first American to enter Japanese waters, though Japan was still a closed society and had strictly closed borders then, and he crossed the north Pacific twice.

These were no small feats, since the Spanish still laid claim to the entire west coast of North America and evertything west of there to the Philippines by Papal decree, and since the Portuguese laid claim to everying west of the Philippines by the same rights. Though the Spanish empire was in decline, it was still had the most significant presence in the Pacific, but the English were showing up in larger and larger numbers and working to expand their empire. And, on top of this, some of Kendrick's own associates and officers had their own plans, and they did not include Kendrick.

While he was there, Kendrick was involved in events that shaped the history of the world, including politics, and military history.

You will read about this and more in this fine history of the work of John Kendrick in the Pacific. If you are familiar with the west coast of North America, you will also be interested to see the connections between people and ships tha figure in this commentary and many west coast place names, e.g., Columbia River, Vancouver Island, Grays Harbor, Bodega Bay, etc., and even scientific names of some species found there such as the douglas fir, the madrone, the feather boa kelp, etc., since they all bear the species name Menziesii (though these are not mentioned in the book, but Dr. Menziesi

As I read this history I started wondering why in the world I hadn't heard of John Kendrick before. Has my head been in the sand this deep when it comes to the history of the eastern Pacific? In any case, this is a book sure to be enjoyed by anyone interested in the history of the United States, the history of Hawaii, American Manifest Destiny, or of the Pacific region.

The writing is good, though not especially dripping. Even so, the research and information are fantastic.

5 stars.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four years after the revolutionary war and seventeen years before Lewis and Clark completed their famous expedition west, John Kendrick, an experienced revolutionary privateer and trusted sailing captain, established an American outpost on what would later become Vancouver Island. In what some might call a historical footnote, this well researched and true story shows how history is made up of important events that often do not become mythical in the grand scheme of things but are no less important. Kendrick's efforts to establish the first American trade route with Asia impacted world events much more than he ever suspected or intended and much more than today's history books reflect. His odyssey effected a global war, the descension of the Spanish empire, the French revolution and numerous other global events of which he had no knowledge or intention. It was a long journey from his first voyage in 1787 until, under the banner of “manifest destiny”, the United States became a world power but like a butterfly in the chaos theory, Kendrick's actions were indisputable and compelling. Any history fan should find this re-examination of the American story revealing but I'm always amazed by small facts that surface, revealing motives I never suspected. My favorite nugget was that Thomas Jefferson's father and Meriwether Lewis's grandfather were land speculators. Although sometimes excessively dry in details, if you read this as you might read a novel it's very entertaining.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

It isn’t all that often that one comes across a history book which can present a detailed look at a period of history or historical event, and really bring it alive. “Morning of Fire” by Scott Ridley is one of those books, and for me it had the added advantage of covering a piece of history with which I was not familiar. Though I have read a fair amount about early American history, I knew little about the voyage led by John Kendrick into the Pacific which departed when the United States was under the Articles of Confederation on October 1st of 1787 and didn’t return until Washington’s second administration and after Kendrick’s tragic death. This book focuses on the voyage under John Kendrick, and the enormous impact that they had, both at the time, and to the future of the United States.

Scott Ridley pieces together the history of this historic voyage from records kept by traders, as well as those from foreign sources, in particular the Spanish and British. Ridley pieces together the events of the voyage, including the international impact, as well as the personal interactions between Kendrick and those under his command. Ridley gives a fair treatment of the facts, though he does form an opinion of Kendrick and others which paints a less than flattering picture of some of the noteworthy people involved, in particular Captain Robert Gray who earned fame as the first American to circumnavigate the world. Nevertheless, this view is supported by numerous facts and recorded events which support Ridley’s interpretation.

One of the most interesting aspects is the way Kendrick built long term relationships with the natives in the region, as more than the others involved he seemed to understand not just the importance of the trade he was doing at the time, but the long term benefits of having these relationships in place for future trade as well as control of the land. Another important indicator of the type of man that Kendrick was, is the way he avoided conflict with the Spanish and the English. Of course, the Spanish and English were naturally more concerned with each other than the United States, which was a young nation and one which they both wanted to control, but Kendrick still skillfully played them against each other and forged alliances which caused grief to both the Spanish and the English.

I know that there are some history books which read like a novel, and perhaps one could make that claim for some sections of this one. However, I believe it is more correct to say that “Moring of Fire” reads like a history book where the author knows how to relate the key information in an interesting and informative manor. I read this book in a fairly short span of time because I found that I was drawn back to it with every free moment that I had. I would give this book the highest rating in whatever system one wishes to use.

[J.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the wake of the American Revolution, the major European powers expected the new nation and its non-monarchial government would soon fail. England thought its former colonies would beg to come back into the fold, and Spain and even France (which had been America's ally) were looking to scoop up New World territory easily. Most Atlantic ports were closed to American goods, and American ships on the seas were opportunistically preyed upon.

To break this stranglehold, a few Boston merchants proposed sending ships into the Pacific to open trade with China in an attempt to boost the weak American economy. And as the Constitution was being adopted in America, two small ships sailed south around the treacherous waters of Cape Horn and into the Spanish waters of the Pacific. The captain, John Kendrick, had been a privateer during the Revolution and hoped to establish trading routes and outposts between the fur-rich Northwest coast, the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), and China. In an age when most traders deeply distrusted the native tribes and unscrupulously opened fire, Kendrick learned their customs and languages and built relationships of trust with them. He was also skillful at playing the British and Spanish off each other - so skillful, in fact, that he was at the center of a flashpoint that nearly brought all of Europe to war.

Even seasoned readers of history can be forgiven for not knowing about John Kendrick or his obscure 7 year odyssey that includes the first circumnavigation by an American and the first American contact with the closed nation of Japan. He wasn't part of a government expedition, and because many of his papers were lost (and his accomplishments downplayed by rivals), there's not a lot of direct information. Scott Ridley tells not only the story of Kendrick but also the larger picture of the exploration and trading in the Pacific, and notables like James Cook and George Vancouver play a part in this tale. Ridley brings in the larger events of the European world as well as the tribal wars that allowed Kamehameha to gain control of all the Sandwich (Hawaiian) islands. And he weaves a fascinating tale that reads almost like a good novel and is just as difficult to put down. Since he had to rely on a lot of indirect information he occasionally makes assumptions about Kendrick's involvement, but it's only slightly distracting (and somewhat understandable). Maps and numerous paintings from the era help to illustrate and complete this amazing and largely unknown story - giving a belated credit to an American hero.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four years after the Revolutionary War, America's independence was still in doubt. To survive, the new nation needed money and a vital surge in trade. In the back rooms of Boston, a daring plan was launched by a group of merchants and ship owners: to send two ships on a desperate mission around Cape Horn and into the Pacific Ocean. They wanted to establish new trade with China, settle an outpost on territory claimed by the Spanish, and find the legendary Northwest Passage- the fabled waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The adventure would bring the world to the brink of war.

The man chosen to lead the expedition was John Kendrick- a master navigator and a charismatic captain of privateers during the Revolution. On the far side of the world, Kendrick would have to rely on his bravery, his charm, and most of all his remarkable resolve to navigate unknown waters, negotiate with cutthroat imperialists from England and Spain, and form alliances with natives hit hard by early encounters with Europeans.

Seventeen years before Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific coast, Kendrick established the first American outpost on what would become Vancouver Island. He then traveled into the cauldron of an intertribal war in the Hawaiian Islands before moving into the far ports of Macao, China, and Kushimoto, Japan, where he narrowly escaped capture by a troop of samurai. Throughout the seven-year journey, Kendrick faced a subordinate officer who wanted to usurp his command, Spanish officials who wanted him captured, and a rival British captain who wanted him dead.

Morning of Fire follows Kendrick through each perilous turn of his adventures aboard the Lady Washington and the Columbia Rediviva. This meticulously researched story uncovers the full scope of a landmark American voyage that came at the volatile close of the eighteenth century, a time when superpowers Spain and Britain clashed over territory and the fledgling United States stood caught in the middle.

More than just an adventure story about an unsung hero, this book tells of the steady resilience of Americans during a dark time. A great inspiration for current events. The only downside was that the organization of the book was a little confusing.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-researched but ultimately fails in its goal

Published by William Morrow in 2010

John Kendrick was a well-respected sailor from the Boston area during the Revolutionary War era. He was rumored to have participated in the Boston Tea Party. He captained a privateer, captured prizes and was highly regarded by political and business leaders and the men who sailed on his ships.

As America struggled to revive its foreign trade after the Revolutionary War (The United States was officially cut off from English trade) tales came to Boston about the beautiful furs available along the Northern Pacific coast of North America. Investors hired Kendrick to lead an expedition of two ships to explore the trading opportunities in the Pacific. Kendrick set off in 1787 to find new markets for American goods. He ended up visiting what is now Alaska, Washington State and British Columbia, Hawaii, China and Japan. He nearly sparked a war between Spain and England, got involved in a brutal war in Hawaii, nearly was killed by officials in Japan (if he had been discovered), survived a monsoon, suffered through the bureaucratic shenanigans of Chinese port officials and was betrayed by the captain of the second ship of his expedition.

Reading about all of that adventure makes this book sound like it would be exciting, but this book does not live up to the exciting life lived by Kendrick...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Dustin Lonero · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was built around a very interesting story and taught me about an American explorer that I knew nothing about. John Kendrick conducted a 7 year voyage that included 5 trans-pacific transits. He went around Cape Horn to the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, China, Japan, and Hong Kong. It was an amazing voyage and the telling of it earns this book 3 stars. Unfortunately, the author's description of the voyage was shallow, confusing, and dry. I don't think he had enough material on John Kendrick the person to really connect the character to the reader. Any attempts at describing Kendrick's emotions were pure guesswork i.e. "it is likely Kendrick felt a since of loss at leaving..." Sure, we can say John Kendrick felt anything, but who knows, certainly not the author. The maps provided do not help the reader follow along as Kendrick travels through various isles, rivers, and banks. I was constantly confused on where the story was actually taking place. The author is a good historian, but lacked any ability to write passionately, descriptions were very plain. If you're not very interested in the age of sail and early american history, you would think this book was boring, but I thought it was interesting and worth reading.

[Shyam Parekh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not as well-written as a Nathaniel Philbrick novel, this account of Kendrick should be read by anybody interested in the growth of our nation and our seafaring power in the years following independence. Contrary to some other reviewers, I thought it was a good read which was easy to follow, though a bit dry at times. I can see how some readers would feel put off by the sometimes disjunct style of writing. It didn't bother me too much because I'm often stopping to look up and read about locations, events and people mentioned in the book, usually using Wikipedia. Reading the kindle version makes that much easier since you can look those subjects up from within the reader. That makes the book much more readable and development of the historical scene easier.

[Doug Canfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see some reviewers have read other histories covering this story that they liked better, but not having that obstacle to overcome myself, I thoroughly enjoyed "Morning of Fire". The drama surrounding this story couldn't be more exciting if it was fiction. I found the writing polished and well paced. In addition, I live in the Pacific Northwest and it was fun to see how the explorers from this brief period (about 10 years) left such an indelible imprint on the region's coast and set the stage for its future habitation by Westward American settlers. I loved it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great example of events that are not covered well even in college course work. Kendrick was a man that paved the way for America's presence in both the Pacific Northwest as well as the Hawaiian Islands. If not for him Hawaii could well be a part of the British Commonwealth today and Washington and Oregon may have been part of Canada.

[Lyn Sweetapple · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly well researched book about an amazing adventurer I have never heard of. His exploits are very important and yet he is unknown. I think that stems from the fact that information about him had to be pieced together from American, British and Spanish archives rather than a single log as is more common for explorers.

[Nat Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and exciting account of the life of a true American hero, John Kendrick. I had never heard of his findings and accomplishments, as I suspect most Americans have not. I recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in American history.

[Jacob Mandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a historian so what this book is missing I don't know but it did fulfill my interest and expectations. I enjoyed the detail Ridley added to the facts making it an adventurous read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good adventure story, If you like this another extremely good book on pacific exploration and trade is called "Nathaniel's Nutmeg"

[Gary Brecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

Numerous hooks have been written about the Lewis & Clark Expedition, declaring it as our nation’s first exploratory thrust to the other side of the continent. Until I read this book about John Kendrick’s voyages, I had not heard of this American sea captain & explorer. Sponsored by entrepreneurs in Baltimore, Kendrick was given command of two vessels and instructed to engage with the natives in what is now the northwestern coast of the United States. The Spanish and the British had been contending over fur trading rights in this region when John Kendrick arrived. Unlike the Spanish or the British, Kendrick’s relationship with the natives was less contentious and consequently he eventually acquired deeds to large tracts of land in this wilderness near Vancouver Island. Although copies of these deeds eventually were sent to Thomas Jefferson, they were never a factor in west coast colonization.
Kendrick found himself in the middle of the competing claims of the Spanish and British. The disagreement evolved into what was later dubbed the “Nootka Sound Controversy” (named after the seizure of British ships and seamen by the Spanish in a safe harborage on the west coast of Vancouver Island). It nearly caused a war between Great Britain and Spain but after negotiations the settlement ended the Spanish claim to a monopoly of trade and settlement on the western coast of North America.
Included in Kendricks original instructions were for him to collect furs off the coast of North America, trade those furs to the Chinese in Macau, and when not engaged in trade, to search for the fabled Northwest Passage.
This exhaustively researched history, which takes us to the Hawaiian and Sandwich Islands as well, chronicles the extraordinary accomplishments and failures of one of America’s lesser-known explorers.

[Paul B. Soper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this book. It was well written and thoroughly researched but it dragged quite a bit after the first few chapters. The author clearly admired his subject and probably rightly so. Kendrick seemed to be dashing, noble, courageous, and smart. What he wasn't was lucky. He set out to extend American influence and territorial claims all the way to the Pacific coast, make a fortune, and gain the sort of respect we now give to Lewis and Clark. His brilliance and daring could have achieved all that had he not been libeled, betrayed, robbed, and ultimately assassinated by the scoundrels around him. He seemed to be a great man destined to become a footnote in 18th century American history. I was also bothered by the lack of a first person accounts by the principals. The author constantly speculates about who told what to whom because the historical record is incomplete. I think the author could have found a better use of his time and talent.

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good. I never knew America sent a private expedition from Boston to the Pacific Northwest around Cape Horn very shortly after the Revolution. The idea was to trade with the natives for furs, then trade the furs with China and return home by circumnavigating the globe. One ship did return under Gray, but Kendrick stayed, acquired land from the Indians, and began to build an American presence in both the Northwest and Hawaii, despite opposition from the Spanish and British.

[Donna Sundre · Rating 3 out of 5]

A remarkable story of an early American explorer. I love sea stories, and this tale relayed a very long journey by one of the earliest American seafarers. John Kendrick set the bar for American sea exploration and circumnavigated the world several times. His ability to learn about native peoples and his respect for them aided all of his efforts, and he earned the respect of traders across the globe.

The story could have been better told, but I'm still glad that I read this book.

[Jud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging, relevant and well studied.
My only complaint would be that some of the most momentous events of the story were mentioned briefly in passing, while non-essential politics that could have been summed up were delved into greatly.

[David Jacka · Rating 1 out of 5]

A subjective and at times absurd account of John Kendrick’s 7 years privateering in the Pacific. Kendrick’s story is interesting and best researched from other authors or the internet. A work of historical fiction.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bit of a slog at times, but the story of how one man with a vision for the future changed the course of half the globe and set the table for Lewis and Clark and others.

[Chaplain Stanley Chapin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history lesson

Well documented description of the exploration of the west coast and pacific. The hardships they went through were more than most would ever partake.

[Michael Nichols]

Good book. It changed my opinions on a number of things: Robert Grey was not the nice guy usually accepted in books. The Russians were never encountered. And more.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Kept my interest in the characters until the end. I needed a map to track the journey but was able to plot it in my head most of the time. Never knew of Kendrick until I read this book and was drawn to it based upon the synopsis. It read to me like an historical novel and not just straight-up history; the extensive references backup the real history and the detailed research performed by the author. Strongly recommend.
Paul Amaral

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

'New' history is always interesting. Although American explorer John Kendrick is the central character, plenty of time is devoted to the competitions and clashes among the United States, Great Britain, and Spain along the Pacific North American coast and Hawaii.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tedious read and only finished half of it. Detailed history in the late 1700's when America was just getting started.