On September 21 at 2:30 we will discuss The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides.
On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawai’i, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment? Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science. Yet something was different on this last voyage. This thrilling account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration.
Save the Date: on November 2 we will discuss two science fiction classics: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
September Book Group
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