Author: Tony Horwitz
Captain James Cook sailed 150,000 miles in the mid-1700s, making the last great voyages of discovery and substantially completing the map of the world. The author, Tony Horwitz, retraces portions of Cooks final journey through the Pacific, recounting tales from the Captain’s log and comparing the findings to the present day.
You don’t have to be a sailor to appreciate this book. It is a unique and interesting presentation of the history of exploration. Horwitz compares the cultures of then (based on Cook’s log) and now, with views on how such early explorers influenced what were until then untouched indigenous cultures. He provides in-depth comparisons of the past and present in terms of civilizations and the environment. And he sails on a replica of Cook’s ship, providing insight to what travels in that day and age were like.
Overall, the book is many things: a great travelogue, a unique presentation of history, and a detailed biography of one of the world’s greatest explorers. But what I liked about it the most was just the idea. Horwitz dreamed up and executed a wonderful triple-dream of exploring the seas under sail, researching the heck out of a subject using a unique twist, and authoring a high quality book. It gives me hope that I might someday concoct an equally unique and ambitious triple dream for myself!