The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton is a gripping historical narrative that explores Captain James Cook’s last and most controversial voyage. Known for his detailed maps and groundbreaking discoveries, Cook embarked on his third and final expedition in 1776, tasked with searching for the elusive Northwest Passage. However, this journey took a tragic turn when he was ultimately killed in Hawaii in 1779.
Sides delves into the complexities of Cook’s character, the imperial ambitions that fueled European exploration, and the indigenous cultures that encountered Cook and his men. The book highlights how Cook, once revered as a skilled navigator and scientific explorer, became entangled in the broader consequences of colonial expansion. Through vivid storytelling, Sides re-examines Cook’s legacy, questioning whether he was an enlightened explorer or a harbinger of imperial conquest.
By reconstructing the perilous voyage, The Wide Wide Sea captures the tensions between discovery and exploitation, culture and conquest, and ambition and hubris. The book serves as a compelling reflection on the costs of exploration, making it a must-read for history enthusiasts, maritime scholars, and anyone interested in the complex narratives of first contact and colonialism.
Book Summary Contents
- 1 What Are The Questions The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Answers?
- 2 The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Details & Statistics
- 3 The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Quotes
- 4 The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Table Of Contents
- 5 The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Summary
- 6 About the Author: Hampton Sides
- 7 Attachments & References
What Are The Questions The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Answers?
- What was the purpose of Captain Cook’s third voyage?
- How did Cook’s leadership style change during this expedition?
- What were the geopolitical stakes of Cook’s voyage?
- How did indigenous peoples perceive and react to Cook’s arrival?
- What role did scientific discovery play in Cook’s expeditions?
- Why was Cook searching for the Northwest Passage?
- How did Cook’s crew interact with native cultures?
- What led to Cook’s violent death in Hawaii?
- How did European diseases impact the indigenous populations Cook encountered?
- What controversies surround Cook’s legacy today?
- How did Cook’s death influence British exploration policies?
- What challenges did Cook face in Arctic waters?
- What role did imperial ambition play in Cook’s voyages?
- How did Cook’s journals shape historical perspectives on his travels?
- What was Cook’s relationship with his crew?
- How did Cook’s voyages contribute to the mapping of the Pacific?
- What indigenous perspectives are included in the book?
- How was Cook’s third voyage different from his previous two?
- What were the main causes of tension between Cook’s men and the Hawaiians?
- What does The Wide Wide Sea reveal about the darker side of exploration?
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Details & Statistics
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Publisher |
Doubleday; First Edition (April 9, 2024)
|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 432 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 0385544766 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0385544764 |
Statistics of The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides
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Best Sellers Rank:
- #1,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Arctic & Antarctica History
- #6 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies
- #6 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs
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Customer Reviews:
- 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,395 ratings)
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Best Books of the Year 2024
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Genres:
- History
- Nonfiction
- Biography
- Adventure
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Quotes
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“Everyone was stricken dumb, crushed…nearly all of the crew shed tears.”
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“When one thought about it, what was perhaps more surprising than Cook’s violent death was that it hadn’t happened earlier, at some other island.”
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“Cook had cheated death so many times, at so many of his anchorages, that it was a wonder he had lived this long.”
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“Clerke had to summon the strength and clarity to make a series of crucial and timely decisions. This was not a moment to grieve or to strike back.”
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“Lieutenant King had natural diplomatic skills and a decent grasp of Polynesian languages, but he had another mark in his favor: Some of the Hawaiians still thought King was Captain Cook’s son.”
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“At night, the hillsides around Kealakekua crackled with bonfires and echoed with the plangent songs of the Hawaiians mourning their dead.”
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“It is difficult to guess what could induce these boys to put such confidence in us as to venture on board at the hazard of their lives.”
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“Later, the boys hopped overboard, swam ashore, and were never seen again.”
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“The pugnacious William Bligh, always a hard-liner in such situations, thought the atrocities were completely justified.”
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“Everywhere Mai went in the green, green country, people were taken by his good humor, impeccable manners, and ready laugh.”
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“To make him known agreeably, without becoming a show.”
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“He seemed to shame education, for his manners are so extremely graceful, and [he] is so polite, attentive, and easy that you would have thought he came from some foreign court.”
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“So much natural politeness I never saw in any man: wherever he goes he makes friends and has not I believe as yet one foe.”
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“Mai made himself at home at Hinchingbrooke. He called Sandwich ‘king of all the ships,’ and seemed to view him as an uncle.”
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“Mai developed a taste for rich sauces and fatty foods—and was especially fond of port.”
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“He had a sense of mission, and he knew that these people he had come amongst held the key to his intrinsic purpose.”
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“He liked to wander around the landscaped park and would call in at the cottages to flirt with, and possibly hope to seduce, the country wenches dependent on the estate.”
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Table Of Contents
Maps & Author’s Note
- Map: Cook’s Third Voyage
- Maps: Cook’s Search for the Northwest Passage and Cook’s Travels in the Hawaiian Islands
- Author’s Note
Prologue
- And Louder Grew the Shouting
- Negative Discoverer
- Proto-Anthropologist
- A Human Pet
- A Fine Retreat
- A Natural Politeness
- The Problem of the Ice
- No Tutor but Nature
- Fresh Discoveries
- The Secret Instructions
Book Two: The Weight of My Resentment
- Isla del Infierno
- Tavern of the Seas
- The Isle of Desolation
- Lunawanna-alonnah
- A Shocking Scene of Carnage
- The Land of the Long White Cloud
- Return to Grass Cove
Book Three: Faraway Heaven
- Aphrodite’s Island
- This Barbarous Custom
- Duped by Every Designing Knave
- A Kingdom for a Goat
- The Ardor of Inviolable Friendship
- Faraway Heaven
- Scorched Up by the Heat of the Sun
- A New Race of People
- In the Land of the Menehune
Book Four: New Albion
- Foul Weather
- Soft Gold
- In Bering’s Wake
- Deep Water and Bold Shores
- Possessed
- Risen in a New World
- Big with Every Danger
Book Five: Apotheosis
- Pathway of the Gods
- Approaching Adoration
- Golden Days
- A Welcome Overstayed
- The Water’s Edge
- The Bones of Captain Cook
- The Long-Concealed Arrangements of the Almighty
Epilogue
- Lono’s Tears
Appendices & References
- Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
- Illustration Credits
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides Summary
This section introduces Captain James Cook as one of history’s greatest explorers. It covers his rise from humble beginnings to becoming Britain’s premier navigator. Cook’s early voyages debunked myths about undiscovered continents and shaped European exploration strategies. His encounters with indigenous peoples highlight his observational skills and cultural curiosity. The story of Mai, a Polynesian brought to England, reflects colonial attitudes toward native peoples.
Cook’s brief retirement is disrupted by imperial ambitions that call him back to sea. His diplomatic approach to first contacts sets him apart from other European explorers. The challenges of Arctic navigation and his self-taught expertise in cartography and mapping further established his legacy. British authorities’ hidden motives for Cook’s final voyage are also revealed.
Book Two: The Weight of My Resentment
This section explores the hardships of Cook’s journey, conflicts with indigenous groups, and growing tensions on board. Harsh conditions push Cook’s crew to their limits, while encounters with European outposts offer brief respite but also political intrigue. The crew faces starvation and illness on barren islands, and Cook’s interactions with Aboriginal Australians add complexity to the narrative. Violent encounters with island tribes test Cook’s leadership, and the arrival in New Zealand marks a significant moment in the expedition. A haunting revisit to a site of past conflicts foreshadows the growing challenges ahead.
Book Three: Faraway Heaven
Cook’s journey into the heart of the Pacific brings both admiration and strife with indigenous cultures. The allure of Tahiti and European fascination with Polynesian life contrast with misunderstandings about local rituals, which lead to tensions. Cook’s growing distrust of interpreters and guides complicates navigation. The introduction of foreign animals disrupts local ecosystems, and attempts at forming alliances with island chiefs are met with mixed success.
The romanticized vision of the Pacific clashes with the harsh realities of long voyages. Disease and exhaustion weaken the crew as they encounter previously unknown tribes, and mythologies shape interactions with native groups in ways that influence the course of the expedition.
Book Four: New Albion
Cook explores the Pacific Northwest and Arctic regions, facing extreme weather and political uncertainty. The voyage is plagued by storms and dangerous seas, while the lure of the fur trade sparks imperial competition.
The pursuit of the Northwest Passage proves fruitless, but new coastal discoveries redefine maps of North America. The psychological toll of exploration weighs heavily on Cook and his men, and the British claim new territories despite indigenous resistance. The increasing risks of the voyage foreshadow Cook’s fate, highlighting the perils of imperial ambition.
Book Five: Apotheosis
The final section recounts Cook’s downfall in Hawaii and his complex legacy. Initially revered as a deity by Hawaiians, Cook’s relations with islanders deteriorated due to cultural misunderstandings. A brief period of peace precedes growing suspicions about Cook’s intentions.
The Hawaiians grow wary, and a stolen boat triggers the fatal confrontation that leads to Cook’s death. His remains are treated with ritualistic significance, reflecting the depth of the cultural divide. The book closes with a reflection on Cook’s impact and how history remembers him.
About the Author: Hampton Sides
Hampton Sides is a renowned author of bestselling narrative history and literary non-fiction, with works such as In the Kingdom of Ice, Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder, and Hellhound On His Trail. His latest book, On Desperate Ground, will be published by Doubleday this October. Sides is also an editor-at-large for Outside magazine, with his magazine work being featured in various anthologies. He has been a two-time Finalist for the National Magazine Awards in feature writing.
A recent fellow of the Santa Fe Institute, Sides teaches literary journalism and narrative history at Colorado College. Originally from Memphis, he earned a BA in history from Yale. He currently resides in Santa Fe with his wife, Anne.
Attachments & References
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- Author’s image source: AMAZON.com
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