The Wide Wide Sea: One of the New York Times Top Ten Books of 2024
by Hampton Sides (Penguin)
(3,651 reviews)
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*** BARACK OBAMA'S SUMMER READING LIST 2024 ***
*** One of the New York Times Top Ten Books of 2024 ***
*** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ***
'The story of Captain Cook's third voyage. Extraordinarily compulsive and fascinating on every page, it combines the satisfaction of a Patrick O'Brian or CS Forester maritime blockbuster with the insights and revelations of a true historian. I felt it somehow told me more about the making of the modern world than any book I had read for ages' STEPHEN FRY, BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2024, OBSERVER
From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, the epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, culminating in Captain James Cook's death
'An astounding tale... recreated in swashbuckling detail... Sides delivers it with narrative urgency. The cast of characters is a joy' Sunday Times
'An enthralling account of Captain Cook's final, fatal voyage... An excellent new book' The Economist
'A rollicking good read, with a tone that reminds me of David Grann's recent tale of the 1741 Wager shipwreck... riveting' Daily Telegraph
'Vivid and propulsive' New York Times
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On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach in Hawaii, Cook was killed - beaten and stabbed in a conflict with the indigenous population.
What brought Cook to these final moments, so at odds with his reputation? Renowned for his humane leadership, dedication to science and the curiosity and respect, not judgement, with which he greeted societies that were new to him, Cook had already mapped huge swathes of the Pacific and initiated first European contact with numerous native peoples.
The stated mission for his third voyage was to return a Tahitian man, Mai, who had become the toast of London high society, to his home islands. But Cook carried secret orders to venture north, to discover the fabled Northwest Passage and chart and claim lands before Britain's imperial rivals. And Cook himself was different on his final, fatal voyage.
Deeply researched and vividly told, The Wide Wide Sea is at once a ferociously-paced, epic adventure and a searching examination of the consequences of the Age of Exploration from a master storyteller.
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'Sides has written a riveting book, deeply researched, light of touch and always judicious and full-sailed about an exceptional man's final extraordinary journey' SPECTATOR
'A wonderful, visceral yarn and an enthralling read, replete with brilliant detail' ROBERT MCCRUM
PRAISE FOR HAMPTON SIDES
'Enthralling... as gripping as any well-paced thriller but a lot more interesting because it is also true' THE TIMES
'Stunningly vivid' MARK BOWDEN, AUTHOR OF BLACK HAWK DOWN
'Splendid in every way... a marvellous nonfiction thriller' WALL STREET JOURNAL
'Extraordinary... meticulous research shores up a fast-paced narrative' FINANCIAL TIMES
'Viscerally dramatic... spellbinding... bold, dynamic, unusually vivid' NEW YORK TIMES
'Unforgettable... a pulse-racing epic... a masterful work of history and storytelling' LOS ANGELES TIMES
'Reads like a first-class epic thriller' TIME
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Price Summary
- We started tracking this book on April 11, 2024.
- This book was £13.99 when we started tracking it.
- The price of this book has changed 3 times in the past 462 days.
- The current price of this book is £5.99 last checked 9 hours ago.
- This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is £0.99.
- The lowest price to date was £0.99 last reached on May 31, 2025.
- This book has been £0.99 one time since we started tracking it.
- The highest price to date was £13.99 last reached on April 11, 2024.
- This book has been £13.99 one time since we started tracking it.
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Additional Info
- Publication Date: April 11, 2024
- Text-to-Speech: Disabled
- Lending: Disabled
- Print Length: 411 Pages
- File Size: 170 KB
We last verified the price of this book about 9 hours ago. At that time, the price was £5.99. This price is subject to change. The price displayed on the Amazon.co.uk website at the time of purchase is the price you will pay for this book. Please confirm the price before making any purchases.