Author Events

The New York Times bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides now tells the epic tale of Captain Cook’s last and fatal journey that began in 1776.

In The Wide Wide Sea, we learn of the dramatic and disturbing change in Cook’s personality. Lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, Cook was admired for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science. He treated his crew well and respected Indigenous societies.

Yet on this last journey, something was different. Cook became hot-tempered, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline. He led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with the pressure he felt from his secret charge to chart and claim lands before his rivals could and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. In any case, the ultimate effects were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. Tensions between Cook’s overt and covert missions came to a head in Hawaii, where his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter.

At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, The Wide Wide Sea is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers.