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In 1838, US Ex Ex (actually the United States South Seas Exploring Expedition) set out to explore every inch of the Pacific. The two ships that comprised the expedition covered nearly 300 islands and encountered an amazing range of human savagery (notably the Fijian islanders' taste for human flesh). At the head of this hardy body of men was the formidable figure of Lt Charles Wilkes, a man whose internal conflicts often made life hell for those about him. His driven personality ultimately precipitated catastrophe, and the resulting court martials became the talk of New York.
The achievement of Philbrick in this massive saga is considerable: as well as detailing the voyages of discovery at the heart of the narrative (the US Ex Ex ships brought back more specimens in the natural history field than even Captain Cook's better-known expeditions), he's concerned with telling a human drama, with the controversial Charles Wilkes at its heart. We have the harrowing saga of a man said to have inspired Melville's tyrannical Captain Ahab, his epic voyages counterpointed by a passionately disputed court martial. --Barry Forshaw
‘Philbrick reconstructs this remarkable expedition in heroic detail...an exemplary account of an important and neglected expedition.’ The Times
‘A stirring yarn, a satisfying lump of cultural history, and a thoughtful moral fable.’ Daily Telegraph
‘Elegant and meticulously researched...Philbrick’s book brings the motivation and nature of exploration into sharp relief.’ Independent
‘It is a fine salty tale, with a becalmed beginning, a stormy centre and a long, messy accusation-filled return to shore.’ Sunday Times
‘A gripping history of the remarkable search for the “ice studded mystery” at the bottom of the world...Superb.’ Economist
‘Philbrick, a conscientious historian and an articulate writer, manages to bring a strong sense of narrative to his tale while still placing it within the broader historical perspective...Perhaps the greatest merit of the book is in its redressing the oversights of history...[It is] a reappraisal of naval history and a powerful study of flawed genius.’ Times Literary Supplement
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