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The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A “thrilling and superbly crafted” (The Wall Street Journal) account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook’s death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day. One of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: THE NEW YORK TIMES, TIME, THE ECONOMIST, NPR, THE NEW YORKER, THE SMITHSONIAN, AND KIRKUS REVIEWS “In this masterly history, Sides tracks the 18th-century English naval officer James Cook’s third and final voyage across the globe, painting a vivid and propulsive portrait."—The New York Times Book Review On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment? Hampton Sides’ bravura account of Cook’s last journey both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s. Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science. On previous expeditions, Cook mapped huge swaths of the Pacific, including the east coast of Australia, and initiated first European contact with numerous peoples. He treated his crew well and endeavored to learn about the societies he encountered with curiosity and without judgment. Yet something was different on this last voyage. Cook became mercurial, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline, and led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with his secret orders, which were to chart and claim lands before Britain’s imperial rivals could, and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Whatever Cook’s intentions, his scientific efforts were the sharp edge of the colonial sword, and the ultimate effects of first contact were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. The tensions between Cook’s overt and covert missions came to a head on the shores of Hawaii. His first landing there was harmonious, but when Cook returned after mapping the coast of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter. At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, THE WIDE WIDE SEA is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 9, 2024


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 40.6 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Great Addition to the Library
Format: Hardcover
I discovered Hampton Sides a couple years ago with In The Kingdom of Ice. I immediately enjoyed his writing style. So then I read Blood and Thunder, and then Ghost Soldiers. You can tell that meticulous research has gone into every one of these books. But that really is the bare minimum for a non-fiction writing. And it's what comes after the meticulous research that keeps me coming back to Hampton Sides' books. He doesn't just tell interesting true stories. He tells them in an interesting way. Every one is a page turner. So when I heard about The Wide Wide Sea I ordered it as soon as it was available. And again I found a page turner about a fascinating period of history. If you are at all interested in sailing, exploration, or adventure give this one a read. As far as the physical condition of the book itself, it's well made and high quality. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2025 by ThePinkPenguin
    • An amazingly well-documented voyage – even though taken 250 years ago!
Format: Kindle
Cook sailed on three multi-year voyages of discovery. This book is focused on his third voyage, which is probably his best known voyage because Cook was killed by island natives on that third voyage. After Cook’s first two voyages, he was England’s preeminent explorer. So when England began organizing an expedition to search for a Northwest Passage (which would connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans), Cook was the natural choice to lead the expedition. The book isn’t particularly kind to Cook’s memory in the first half of the book. By the third voyage, Cook is older. His urge to explore new island discoveries seems less than during his first two voyages. His crew disciple seems more excessive on this third voyage. Perhaps Cook wasn’t the best choice for this third voyage of exploration. But Cook’s reputation is treated much more laudatory in the second half of the book. His sailing prowess in the face of danger (fog, winds, heavy seas, icing – and their related damage to the ship) avoided tragedy more than once. And his courage while trying to personally establish first-contact with armed, superstitious natives was brave, though also perhaps far too close to the point of foolhardiness. Normally, a book about a voyage taken 250 years ago would have to be light on facts and heavy on conjecture regarding what people really thought and what really happened. But this was a voyage of discovery. In addition to sailors and marines, the ship had astronomers, artists, anthropologists, botanists and diarists. It was probably one of the best documented voyages, before or since. And author Hampton Sides turned all that information into an excellent book. Bottom Line: I’ve often thought that a good history book (i.e., non-fiction) can be more interesting and exciting than the most imaginative fiction. This book is such an example. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024 by F. Moyer
    • Very Exciting ‘Sea Story’
Format: Kindle
Excellent book, covering the 3rd (and final) journey of Captain Cook…which included his return to Tahiti, Tasmania and New Zealand…and eventually the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. Captain Cook's mission (which began in London) was to sail his ships south along the Atlantic Ocean and breach the bottom of Africa to enter the Pacific Ocean. From there he was to travel north (all the way to the Artic) to map and explore North America and Alaska, while also searching for the (non-existent) Northwest Passage (the mythical, ice-free sea route that supposedly connected both coasts of America). He accidently ran right into Hawaii while travelling north. This was Captain Cook’s 3rd world voyage (I keep wanting to say Captain Kirk…lol...will someone please beam me up) and it lasted about 5 years, occurring in the late 1700s (about the same time as the American Revolution was being fought on the other side of the world). This story is very exciting. When the ships would leave a port, I couldn’t wait to see what kind of adventure the ship and crew would encounter next…either at-sea or at their next port. The story is taken from the very descriptive writings and logbooks of the crewmembers themselves, so that the reader gets a very good sense of what things were like during this voyage and what the crew experienced at some of the most exotic places on earth, particularly the first encounters with the Hawaiians and Alaskans. At times I felt like I was ‘right there’. The author did an excellent job tying everything together and making this a very enjoyable (and enlightening) reading experience. Highly recommended for history buffs. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2024 by wooster
    • A magnificent history of Captain James Cook
Format: Kindle
Firmly recommend to all lovers of history and especially those who.likewise love a great adventure! One of the great books of this generation!
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2026 by Ronald C. Griebell
    • Great historical fiction novel.
Format: Hardcover
I loved this book, I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in history. I just bought the hardback for my son as a gift. It is well written and informative.
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2025 by WB
    • Great History
Format: Audiobook
Thiis is about the best historic narrative I've ever read with vivid examples of cultural differences, human behavior courage and resourcefulness The author writes so that we feel we are with The Resolution, captain and crew every day of their long voyage. Superb.
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2026 by G. Cole
    • Great Read!
Format: Paperback
Fantastic story of the sea and its island people. It really does not get going until page 59 but from there it’s an adventurous sea story. It’s interesting to read of how the islands in the Pacific and the locations along the American west coast got their names. Cook was looking for a passage from the northern Pacific up around Alaska and the goal was to find a way to sail over the top of North America and reach the Atlantic Ocean and then sail back to England, unfortunately he never made it. 354 pages in soft cover, I think that anyone who loves the sea and all it’s wonders would find it hard to put this book aside until finished. Storms, friendly natives and not so friendly natives, disease and sea life of all kinds, it’s all here. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2025 by Corky
    • Great Book: Learned a Lot But No Drama
Format: Paperback
The text is easy to read and carries the reader through historical events. The book is interesting because of its history and geographical content. It is often droll and lacks the high seas narrative of storms and problems I had hoped for. I enjoyed the book, but it's not a 5.
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2025 by Pamela S.

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