Captain Cook: Master of the Seas - Softcover

McLynn, Frank

Softcover

ISBN 10: 030018431X ISBN 13: 9780300184310

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2012

Synopsis

A vivid reappraisal of the legendary Captain Cook, from bestselling biographer Frank McLynn

The age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with heroic adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy.

Recent writers have viewed Cook largely through the lens of colonial exploitation, regarding him as a villain and overlooking an important aspect of his identity: his nautical skills. In this authentic, engrossing biography, Frank McLynn reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant seaman. He shows how the Captain's life was one of struggle--with himself, with institutions, with the environment, with the desire to be remembered--and also one of great success.

In Captain Cook, McLynn re-creates the voyages that took the famous navigator from his native England to the outer reaches of the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately, Cook, who began his career as a deckhand, transcended his humble beginnings and triumphed through good fortune, courage, and talent. Although Cook died in a senseless, avoidable conflict with the people of Hawaii, McLynn illustrates that to the men with whom he served, Cook was master of the seas and nothing less than a titan.

About this title

About the Author:

Frank McLynn is a highly regarded historian specializing in biographies and military history. He has written more than twenty books, including Richard and John: Kings at War, Napoleon, and Marcus Aurelius: A Life. He lives in Surrey, England.

Review:

"Thoroughly researched and sharply opinionated."--Michael J. Ybarra, "Wall Street Journal"--Michael J. Ybarra "The Wall Street Journal "

"[A]n accessible and exciting popular biography."--Michael Fathers, "Literary Review"--Michael Fathers"Literary Review" (04/01/2011)

"[A] first-class biography by a prominent British historian, Frank McLynn."--John M./i>--John M. Taylor "Washington Times "

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 030018431X
• ISBN 13: 9780300184310
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512