Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before | Tony Horwitz

Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before | Tony Horwitz | Horwitz only gets better

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Blue Latitudes: Bo...

	Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before Tony Horwitz, 2002 - 496 pages average customer review:based on 93 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A tribute to a great explorer

Tony Horwitz, author of "Confederates in the Attic" and "Baghdad Without a Map," has come up with a very readable book about a great explorer, Captain James Cook. And he travels to many of the places where Cook ventured: the Pacific Northwest, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Niue, Tonga, North Yorkshire (where Cook grew up), Alaska, and Hawaii. And we readers learn about the difficulties and hazards of being an explorer.

Cook was born in 1728. Initially a farm boy, he served as an apprentice at sea on a coal ship from 1746 to 1749. He was offered the job of a coal ship commander in 1755, but he turned it down, instead enlisting in the British Royal Navy. In four years, he rose to the position of Master. After that, he made several trips to Canada, where he skillfully charted much of the coast. He published an account of the solar eclipse of May 5, 1766, and this helped him to be chosen as the leader of a three-year expedition to the South Pacific in 1768, the purpose of which was to observe the transit of Venus. He was made a full lieutenant for this task. He was a fine leader of men, and after observing the transit in Tahiti on June 3, 1769, he sailed back via Australia, where he explored the East coast of that continent. That adventure nearly ended tragically when his ship went aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Still, he made it back to England with over half his men, and nearly completely avoided the dread disease, scurvy, on his ship by insisting that his men consume plenty of fruits and vegetables when ashore.

Cook spent only a year in England and then set sail, as a Commander, on another three-year trip, this time in search of Antarctica. He never did reach land there, but he did cross the Antarctic circle, going past 71 degrees South latitude. Upon returning to England, he retired from the Navy for a few months, but then (probably unwisely) agreed to go on yet a third great expedition, now as a Captain. On this voyage, he searched for a Northwest Passage, from the Pacific side. He didn't find one. In addition, his talent as a cool-headed leader seemed to diminish. On Valentine's Day, 1779, Cook was killed by natives in Hawaii at the age of 50.

I like the way Horwitz manages to convey not only a little about what life is (and was) like for a sailor, but also about some of what it takes to be a leader of an expedition. I recommend this book.

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Horwitz only gets better

Tony Horwitz continues to prove his amazing writing ability in Blue Latitudes. It's a study of Captain Cook's voyages across the Pacific, along with an indepth character study of Cook and an updated look at the places he visited as Horwitz travels in his wake. Although the language gets a bit foul at times, Horwitz does a terrific job of showing the argument between making Cook a hero and a scoundrel. He looks into and relates the deep felt feelings on both sides and tries to get to the root of the anger felt toward him. Horwitz makes some deeply insightful comments about white colonialism and the effects it has left on the indigenous cultures it dominated around the world. Horwitz is thoroughly readable and entertaining while being scholarly and wise all at the same time.

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History and Humor

I really enjoyed reading this book about the history of Captain Cook. Tony Horwitz's humor made this very enjoyable and yet very interesting in our real world today!

Seasick before Sailing

This was a very interesting narative of the life at the time. It gave me a new perspective about what it might be like to travel the South Seas during 1700's in England--hell. It gave me great insight to what it would be like for a sailor having to leave Tahiti after sailing the South Seas months on end after living in 1770 England. And it was informative to see how people have been affected today. I was especially moved by the discussions about the Aborigines who I have a lot more respect for now than before I read the book.

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A vision

What a wonderful trip for me. A friend recommended this book to me, I read it in a couple of days. Took me to some fabulous places that I will most likely never go to myself.
It is amazing what touches of "civilization" will do to some places. The large specturm of changes
A must read for those that are interested in why the "prime directive" is so very important

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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