Captain Cook and the Pacific

Captain Cook and the Pacific: Art, Exploration and Empire by John McAleer and Nigel Rigby

British Royal Navy Captain James Cook's voyages of exploration across and around the Pacific Ocean were a marvel of maritime achievement, and provided the first accurate map of the Pacific. The expeditions answered key scientific, economic, and geographic questions, and inspired some of the most influential images of the Pacific made by Europeans. Now readers can immerse themselves in the adventure through the collections of London's National Maritime Museum, which illuminate every aspect of the voyages: oil paintings of lush landscapes, scientific and navigational instruments, ship plans, globes, charts and maps, rare books and manuscripts, coins and medals, ethnographic material, and personal effects. Each artifact holds a story that sheds light on Captain Cook, the crews he commanded, and the effort's impact on world history.

Showcasing one of the richest resources of Cook-related material in the world, this publication invites readers to engage with the extraordinary voyages-manifested in material culture-and their continuing significance today.

Full contents: 

• James Cook, the Royal Navy and his three voyages of exploration
• The advancement of science and the increase of knowledge: charting the Pacific and enlightenment science
• Cook's Pacific: explorations and encounter in the Pacific
• Visualizing the Pacific: art, landscape and exploration
• Exhibiting the Pacific: collecting, recording and display
• 'Men of Captain Cook': Pacific voyages 1785-1803
• The strange afterlives of Captain Cook: representations and commemorations
• Cook on display: the National Maritime Museum's Cook galleries and exhibitions, 1937-2000.

Hardcover
Pages: 256
Dimensions: 26.25 x 19.81  x 2.4 cm