From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides pre-order the epic account of the most
momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration culminating in Captain James Cook's death in Hawaii
and a complex and controversial legacy debated to this day . . . 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. The great navigator became mercurial resorting to the
lash to enforce discipline on board leading his ships into danger time and again and meting
out savage punishments against native peoples for perceived wrongs. Whatever was driving Cook
his mission revealed itself to be the sharp edge of a colonial sword that brought catastrophe
to the people in its path. And after returning from the Arctic to the shores of Hawaii Cook's
expedition finally tore itself apart ... 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. 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 'Phenomenally gripping ... Sides works
story-telling magic' - BOSTON GLOBE
