*** BARACK OBAMA'S SUMMER READING LIST 2024 *** *** One of the New York Times Top Ten Books of
2024 *** *** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER *** ' The story of Captain Cook's third voyage.
Extraordinarily compulsive and fascinating on every page it combines the satisfaction of a
Patrick O'Brian or CS Forester maritime blockbuster with the insights and revelations of a true
historian . I felt it somehow told me more about the making of the modern world than any book I
had read for ages' STEPHEN FRY BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2024 OBSERVER From New York Times
bestselling author Hampton Sides the epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of
Exploration culminating in Captain James Cook's death 'An astounding tale . . . recreated in
swashbuckling detail . . . Sides delivers it with narrative urgency. The cast of characters is
a joy' Sunday Times 'An enthralling account of Captain Cook's final fatal voyage... An
excellent new book' The Economist 'A rollicking good read with a tone that reminds me of
David Grann's recent tale of the 1741 Wager shipwreck . . . riveting' Daily Telegraph ' Vivid
and propulsive ' New York Times --- On July 12 th 1776 Captain James Cook already
lionized as the greatest explorer in British history set off on his third voyage in HMS
Resolution . Two-and-a-half years later on a beach in Hawaii Cook was killed - beaten and
stabbed in a conflict with the indigenous population. What brought Cook to these final moments
so at odds with his reputation? Renowned for his humane leadership dedication to science and
the curiosity and respect not judgement with which he greeted societies that were new to him
Cook had already mapped huge swathes of the Pacific and initiated first European contact with
numerous native peoples. The stated mission for his third voyage was to return a Tahitian man
Mai who had become the toast of London high society to his home islands. But Cook carried
secret orders to venture north to discover the fabled Northwest Passage and chart and claim
lands before Britain's imperial rivals. And Cook himself was different on his final fatal
voyage. Deeply researched and vividly told The Wide Wide Sea is at once a ferociously-paced
epic adventure and a searching examination of the consequences of the Age of Exploration from a
master storyteller. ---- 'Sides has written a riveting book deeply researched light of
touch and always judicious and full-sailed about an exceptional man's final extraordinary
journey' SPECTATOR 'A wonderful visceral yarn and an enthralling read replete with
brilliant detail' ROBERT MCCRUM PRAISE FOR HAMPTON SIDES ' Enthralling . . . as gripping as
any well-paced thriller but a lot more interesting because it is also true' THE TIMES
'Stunningly vivid ' MARK BOWDEN AUTHOR OF BLACK HAWK DOWN ' Splendid in every way. . . a
marvellous nonfiction thriller' WALL STREET JOURNAL ' Extraordinary . . . meticulous research
shores up a fast-paced narrative' FINANCIAL TIMES 'Viscerally dramatic . . . spellbinding . .
. bold dynamic unusually vivid' NEW YORK TIMES ' Unforgettable . . . a pulse-racing epic .
. . a masterful work of history and storytelling' LOS ANGELES TIMES ' Reads like a
first-class epic thriller' TIME
