Where Fate Beckons: The Life of Jean-Francois De La Perouse (Lives of Great Explorers) - Softcover

Dunmore, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 160223003X ISBN 13: 9781602230033

Publisher: Univ of Alaska Pr, 2008

Synopsis

French explorer and naval officer Jean-François de la Pérouse (1741–88) was, after James Cook, the greatest explorer of the Pacific in the eighteenth century. In 1785, La Pérouse was commissioned by Louis XVI to head an expedition into the uncharted regions of the Pacific Ocean. Setting out from France, the expedition over the next three years was the first to map the coasts of California, Alaska, and Siberia. From there, La Pérouse continued to Easter Island and Hawaii, where La Pérouse Bay bears his name. After a stop in Botany Bay, Australia, La Pérouse's two ships set out for the Solomon Islands. En route, they encountered a storm and were sunk; despite search efforts over the centuries, no trace of the wreckage of La Pérouse's ships has been found.

Where Fate Beckons tells the story of La Pérouse's life and adventures, along the way providing a lively introduction to the world of French colonialism, the end of the Age of Exploration, and French society in the years leading to the French Revolution.

About this title

About the Author

John Dunmore is professor emeritus of French at Massey University, New Zealand and has written more than twenty books on French navigation in the Pacific.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ of Alaska Pr
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 160223003X
• ISBN 13: 9781602230033
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 304