Pacific Islands: James Cook Voyages

Salt air, open horizons, and the thrill of the unknown: three extraordinary expeditions led by British captain James Cook (1728–1779) would forever change the world's understanding of the Pacific. More than 100,000 miles were sailed aboard the Endeavor, the Resolution, and the Adventure, charting coastlines never before traced by European hands and encountering landscapes of breathtaking splendor.   Pacific Islands: James Cook Voyages invites readers to follow in the wake of one of history's great explorers. From the turquoise lagoons of Tahiti and the volcanic peaks of Hawaii to the dense forests of New Zealand and the vast shores of eastern Australia, the book captures the Pacific as Cook and his crew first encountered it—wild, astonishing, and alive with culture and natural wonder. The flora and fauna documented for the very first time in the eighteenth century are brought vividly to the present, alongside the stories of the island peoples who shaped the voyages as profoundly as the winds. Written by Nicholas Thomas, professor of historical anthropology at the University of Cambridge and one of the leading authorities on Oceania, this volume is both a celebration of the age of exploration and a meditation on the enduring allure of the Pacific. For travelers, historians, and dreamers alike, it is an invitation to set sail.