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James Cook

The story behind the man who mapped the world

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James Cook

By: Peter FitzSimons
Narrated by: Michael Carman
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The name Captain James Cook is one of the most recognisable in Australian history - an almost mythic figure who is often discussed, celebrated, reviled and debated.

But who was the real James Cook?

This Yorkshire farm boy would go on to become the foremost mariner, scientist, navigator and cartographer of his era, and to personally map a third of the globe. His great voyages of discovery were incredible feats of seamanship and navigation. Leading a crew of men into uncharted territories, Cook would face the best and worst of humanity as he took himself and his crew to the edge of the known world - and beyond.

With his masterful storytelling talent, Peter FitzSimons brings the real James Cook to life. Focusing on his most iconic expedition, the voyage of the Endeavour, where Cook first set foot on Australian and New Zealand soil, FitzSimons contrasts Cook against another figure who looms large in Australasian history: Joseph Banks, the aristocratic botanist. As they left England, Banks, a rich, famous playboy, was everything that Cook was not. The voyage tested Cook's character and would help define his legacy.

Now, 240 years after James Cook's death, FitzSimons reveals what kind of man James was at heart. His strengths, his weaknesses, his passions and pursuits, failures and successes.

James Cook reveals the man behind the myth. 18th Century Australia, New Zealand & Oceania Europe Expeditions & Discoveries Great Britain Modern Oceania World Sailing England Thought-Provoking
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Critic Reviews

Fitzsimons has a novelistic style... He is also able to convey the drama of the voyage
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I began listening to this book with a somewhat heavy heart - could anyone make Captain Cook interesting as well as admirable? The answer is yes, Peter FitzSimons can, with the aid of his numerous researchers who dug out information from obscure sources, Peter tell us. There is so much extra stuff I had not heard about or imagined - details of naval procedure and exploration, customs of the inhabitants of Pacific islands, differences between Cook and Banks, info about the other men on the Endeavour etc. etc. Peter's narrative style is quirky but always engaging, even gripping. I am so glad I read it, or heard the reading. Michael Carman does a great job narrating the book, with many thorny pronunciations to deal with.
One question remains: when Cook was sailing up the 2000-mile eastern coast of Australia, why did he continue to deny the possibility of a Great South Land? Was he expecting something the size of Asia? It was 'only New Holland', he says, more or less. What did he think New Holland consisted of?

Fine reading of entertaining biography

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This is another fantastic read or listen. Looking forward to the next one with interest.

Another gooden

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Another superb historical book by Peter FitzSimons (and terrifically read by Michael Carman). It’s filled in a great many of the questions I pondered about Cook growing up, and corrected a great many of the plain untruths that the Australian school system of the 1990s and 2000s taught us (or at least, very selectively taught).

Highly recommended, fives stars all round for me.

Superbly puts you in the history

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As a global traveller, not tourist, of many years, James Cook’s (spirit) often accompanies me as I describe to him in my mind the goings on of the moment. At 35,000 feet in an aircraft, sailing a catamaran in the Mediterranean, spear fishing in the Red Sea and so on. I explain the workings of an internal combustion engine, an IPhone and it’s feature, how I can watch a cricket match in real time taking place on the other side of the world an so on. In this way I remain constantly fascinated in everything as I’m sure he would be and I believe he would be one of the only humans should he be reincarnated today that would not die of shock at the technical advancements, particularly around navigation. The confusion mentioned in the heading here comes from the current perception of the man. When I encouraged my 15 and 13 year old kids to read the book, they were perplexed. “Why would you want to read about a man who ordered his men to slaughter aboriginals as soon as he set foot in Australia?”
When I asked where they got this information from they replied that it is taught to them at school. The school being an expensive and well respected private college in Queensland.
I explained that it was those that came after Cook that did this but to no avail. I believe that we do need to reset and fully acknowledge the truth of our past but I emphasise the word ‘truth’ specially about Captain James Cook.
However, this is a really good and satisfying read and now that it is read, the only way to fill the void is to start another of Peter FitzSimons’ works. Awesome book thanks Peter. Greg

The current confusion over the actions of Captain James Cook

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It felt like listening to a Grandfather tell a fascinating story.
The narration is very good too, entertaining but not overdone.
Although we had learnt some of the history of Captain Cook in school, this rendition added so much detail, context, and humanity that it really brought alive just what an incredible feat these men embarked upon, and how inevitable were the misunderstandings and conflicts that arose when different cultures and worldviews encountered each other for the first time.
Beautifully told, and a great way for a New Zealander or Australian to easily understand more about their history.

Most engaging history I've ever heard

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