Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before Tony Horwitz
"Being in a ship is being in a jail, with a chance to drown."
Tony Horwitz takes us across time, hemispheres and centuries to recapture the Cook’s adventures and examine his legacy in today's Pacific. In the late 1700’s Captain James Cook made three epic 18th-century explorations of the Pacific Ocean that were the last of their kind, literally completing the map of the world. This entertaining book intermingles four elements.
• An excellent biography including passages from his detailed journals.
“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 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: his map of New Zealand was used until the 1990's. His voyages 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.”
• An adventurous, serious, and humorous travelogue
In order to understand sailing at the time Horwitz begins by working as a sailor aboard the replica of Cook's ship Endeavour (complete with 14 inches of hammock space). After that “wake up” lesson, he attempts to follow in Cook's footsteps and see locations as Cook might have seen them. Horwitz goes to Canada, Tahiti, Bora-Bora, New Zealand, Australia, Niue, Tonga, England, Alaska and Hawaii. He meets island kings and beauty queens, and carouses the South Seas with a hilarious and outrageous companion, an Aussie named Roger. He tells his own story of following in Cook's wake, visiting his far-flung destinations (with the exception of Antarctica) and investigating his legacy.
• An examination of his impact on the world he discovered
Interestingly Cook himself is aware of the changes that come from contact with the outside world: disease, STD's, materialism and religion. Attempts to civilize these beautiful islands result in eradicating the native cultures and sometime the entire native population just a few years after Cook’s “discoveries. Today very little actually exists from Cook's time. Places he lived, worshipped and worked are pretty much gone. Ironically, journals, diaries, logs and sketches from Cook's travels are in some cases the only record of these native cultures.
• An historical perspective of both his person and his “discoveries.”
Horwitz discovers that while Cook is revered in his native England, the view from many of the Pacific nations is quite the opposite. From Australia to the Aleutians the reaction to Cook’s name ranges from disdain to indifference to admiration. The cultural and environmental havoc resulting from the opening of the unspoiled Pacific follows Cook because he was first. However, his determination, bravery and strength as a leader, planner, and captain is very clear.
"the best you can do is catch an echo of the man. You can almost never reach out and touch him."
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Top reviews from other countries
Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf
Probleme wurden gelöst.
Reviewed in Germany on May 12, 2021
Mr. S. J. Huntley
Informative, entertaining, easy to read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2013Amazon Customer
An excellent introduction to Cook’s travels
Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2019Grainne Aitken
Wonderfully witty, fascinating and insightful view of Captain Cook and his journeys with current day comparisons and observations - thoroughly captivating.
Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2019