Publisher Description

Captain Cook Rediscovered is the first modern study to frame Captain James Cook's career from a North American vantage. Although Cook is inextricably linked to the South Pacific in the popular imagination, his crowning navigational and scientific achievements took place in the polar regions. Recognizing that Cook sailed more miles in the high latitudes of all of the world's oceans than in the tropical zone, this book gives due attention to his voyages in seas and lands usually neglected. David L. Nicandri acknowledges the cartographic accomplishments of the Australasian first voyage but focuses on the second- and third-voyage discovery missions near the poles, where Cook pioneered the science of iceberg and icepack formation. This ground-breaking book overturns an area of study that has been typically dominated by the "palm-tree paradigm" – resulting in a truly modern appraisal of Cook for the climate change era.

Author Biography

David L. Nicandri is the former executive director of the Washington State Historical Society, where he served from 1987 until his retirement in 2011.

Table of Contents

IntroductionPart 1: Prequels1 The North Sea and Canada2 The Republic of Letters 3 The South Pacific Part 2: A Frozen World4 Toward the South Pole 5 The Limit of Ambition6 Temporizing in the Tropics7 Cook and Forster, on IcePart 3: A Third Voyage8 An Ancient Quest: A New Mission9 Southern Staging Grounds10 Terra Borealis11 Blink12 Northern Interlude13 Intimations of MortalityPart 4: Sequels14 Springtime in Kamchatka15 Diminishing Returns16 Seeding the Fur Trade on the Voyage HomeConclusionNotes; Bibliography; Photo Credits; Index

Review

David Nicandri has ransacked the archives and libraries in order to demonstrate, which he fully does, his view that, although many have seen Cook as an explorer of the tropics, it is in icy wastes and choked channels that Cook was at his best as a careful navigator and observer. -- Barry Gough, Victoria, BC * BC Studies, Issue 209 *
Ambitious … courageous … [Nicandri] targets inconsistencies in the scholarly treatment of Cook's actions … an unquestionably strong book. -- Eric Oakley, Kennesaw State University * Pacific Northwest Quarterly *
David Nicandri's Introduction to this elegant volume summarises the arguments that he develops at length...few will change their minds entirely on reading Nicandri's arguments, but for many (including this reviewer) the book will make them look afresh at the well-worn accounts of Cook's three voyages. -- Glyn Williams * Cook's Log, Vol. 44 *
Captain Cook Rediscovered is an impressively researched book...There is no denying the quality of Nicandri's historical work. When read alongside the works of Ryan Tucker Jones and Bathsheba Demuth, this book proves essential in helping us better understand European exploration of the North Pacific. -- Michael A. Hill, The University of Kansas * Alaska History *

Long Description

Captain Cook Rediscovered is the first modern study to frame Captain James Cook's career from a North American vantage. Although Cook is inextricably linked to the South Pacific in the popular imagination, his crowning navigational and scientific achievements took place in the polar regions. Recognizing that Cook sailed more miles in the high latitudes of all of the world's oceans than in the tropical zone, this book gives due attention to his voyages in seas and lands usually neglected. David L. Nicandri acknowledges the cartographic accomplishments of the Australasian first voyage but focuses on the second- and third-voyage discovery missions near the poles, where Cook pioneered the science of iceberg and icepack formation. This ground-breaking book overturns an area of study that has been typically dominated by the "palm-tree paradigm" - resulting in a truly modern appraisal of Cook for the climate change era.

Review Quote

"Nicandri sees Cook not simply as an avatar of empire, but as one of the Age of Enlightenment. The world Cook observed and recorded with scientific "fastidiousness" led the way to new geographies and unparalleled global connections."

Description for Reader

Captain James Cook is inextricably linked to the South Pacific in the popular imagination, his voyages satisfying our fascination with so-called Polynesian exoticism. But his crowning navigational and scientific achievements took place in the polar regions. Captain Cook Rediscovered is the first modern study to frame Captain James Cook's career from a North American vantage. Recognizing that Cook sailed more miles in the high latitudes of all of the world's oceans than in the tropical zone, this book gives due attention to his voyages in seas and lands usually neglected, such as South Georgia in the far southern Atlantic and the Alaskan subcontinent, whose dimensions Cook first delineated. David L. Nicandri acknowledges the cartographic accomplishments of the first voyage but focuses on the second- and third-voyage discovery missions in the icy latitudes near the poles, where Cook pioneered the science of iceberg and icepack formation This ground-breaking book overturns an area of study that has been typically dominated by the "palm-tree paradigm." Nicandri replaces that stereotype with a balanced account of Cook's travels - resulting in a truly modern appraisal of Cook for the climate change era.

Description for Teachers/Educators

This fascinating account will appeal not only to students of environmental history, naval history, and polar studies but also to Cook enthusiasts and readers with an interest in exploration history, science, and the North.

Details