Conclusions presented in books and articles about the Icon known as Captain James Cook vary to the extreme. Some paint him as a glorious explorer and hero or the lead character in the scourge of colonialism.
Smart Choices Made by Sides
Historian Hampton Sides does not fall victim to taking one side or the other. He presents a remarkably detailed and considered look into Cook, the people around him, and the world at the time. Sides takes great care to present the facts in an insightful and balanced 350+ pages. The Wide Wide Sea is a not a long dense slog of a read.
Sides smartly chooses the narrative on which to focus, Cook’s third Voyage – to find the Northwest Passage. He makes sure the reader is provided the proper background and context before taking you deep into the journey and its implications.
Sides is known to be the ultimate researcher, who can pull out fascinating information and present a gem of a story. With The Wide Wide Sea, Sides has done it again. There are a multitude of stories, plots, and sub-plots revealed in this book.
Worth the Read
It would be easy to take a pass on reading another book on someone and something that has been covered ad nauseum. To do so, would be a mistake of material proportion. If you desire to really know the story about Cook, this journey, and the world and culture at the time, read The Wide Wide Sea.
Fore more information about Hampton Sides go [here].
For some more pictures of the beach front in Waimea go [here] and [here] and [here].
**** Jeff’s Thoughts and Other Worthless Trivia ****
The Hawaiian islands are now and have been important to me for most of my life. A good deal of the book deals with Hawaii and its role in the world, and the life and death of Cook. As a resident of Kauai I was especially interested in how the first documented contact between a European and Hawaii and its people would be told. Kauai is presented front and center in the Prologue and in Chapter 24. Sides narrative is compelling. Kauai considered itself then, and to a degree today – a Separate Nation. Sides expertly points it out.
Cook, his two ships, and crew first made contact with Kauaian’s at the mouth of the Waimea River and the Pacific ocean.
They landed on the ocean front on the western side of the mouth of the Waimea River.
I live in Waimea.
My home is on the ocean front on the western side of the mouth of the Waimea River.
In Pictures
The view from Atoo oi (Waimea) today. My guess is the location of the drawing would put the scene and view two blocks past the Highway 50 bridge (in the distance).
Where the Waimea River meets the Pacific. In view, the River, Canoe Club and my house behind them (white roof). Note: The sand bar builds with lack of rainfall and can be almost completely washed away after heavy rainfall. At present the sand bar is about 50% of the size shown in this photo.
A view of the mouth of the Waimea River and the Pacific. If there is an extended period of no rain, the sand bar will grow and almost close off the river.
The ocean front from our yard. For context, the waves from where the ocean meets the river can be seen through our Ironwood trees on the left.
Our house from the ocean beach front
