In the Wake of Cook : Exploration in the Pacific, 1779-1850

Van der Merwe, Pieter, Rigby, Nigel

ISBN 10: 0948065559 / ISBN 13: 9780948065552

Published by National Maritime Museum, 2005

Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # 17530250-20

Synopsis:

Pacific exploration, but one of the effects of his fame has been that the many voyages of science and exploration following him to the Pacific have not received the attention they have deserved, especially in Britain. In the Wake of Cook aims to correct this imbalance through the voyages of exploration that continued Cook's work of charting the Pacific. These voyages, by William Bligh, George Vancouver, Matthew Flinders, La Perouse and Arthur Phillip, span a time that saw Britain become the world's leading maritime power. The book will explore the following themes: the legacies of Cook, encounters with indigenous peoples, the growing professionalism of the hydro-graphic service, the types of ship used, artists and scientists on the voyages of exploration, and the colonial, commercial and imperial contexts of the voyages.

From the Inside Flap: When Captain Cook died on Hawaii in 1779, Britain was already at war with France and Spain, who had allied themselves with her rebellious American subjects. The new United States secured independence in 1783 and, as peace resumed, all three rival European powers turned again to considering the opportunities revealed by Cook's work in the Pacific. Further expeditions were soon dispatched: some were successful, some disastrous, and the achievements of some are still too little known.

This book looks at six of Cook's successors and their Pacific voyages: at Arthur Phillip, founder of the first British colony in Australia; the Comte de Laperouse, whose French scientific expedition vanished without trace; William Bligh, first in the ill-fated 'Bounty' but then successfully in the 'Providence' and in his final role as Governor of New South Wales; Alejandro Malaspina, whose Spanish expedition was forgotten in the oblivion of his later political disgrace; George Vancouver's controversial voyage to north-west America; and Matthew Flinders' charting of Australia and long imprisonment by the French on Mauritius.

Bibliographic Details

Title: In the Wake of Cook : Exploration in the ...
Publisher: National Maritime Museum
Publication Date: 2005
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good