The First Voyage of James Cook Volume 1
James Cook
Read by David Cole
In May 1768, the Admiralty commissioned the 39-year old Cook to command a scientific voyage to the Pacific Ocean to observe and record the 1769 transit of Venus across the Sun. The expedition sailed aboard HMS Endeavour in August 1768, rounded Cape Horn and continued to Tahiti, where the observations of the transit were made. Cook then opened sealed orders for the second part of his voyage: to search the south Pacific for signs of the postulated rich southern continent of Terra Australis. Cook proceeded to circumnavigate New Zealand's two main islands, which is where this volume ends. - Summary by David Cole (16 hr 21 min)
Chapters
Reviews
first contact with isolated stone age societies.
Chris Jones
what a fantastically narrated book. the observations of Cook, Joseph Banks and others on the societies, technology and customs of these people are unique. helps to have a map to hand as Cook names mountains, straits and islands. A lot of nautical and sailing jargon but his orders were to map these new shores. A very compassionate man at pains not to take provisions by force.
What a time to be alive and an adventure to be involved in.
PJ M
Some dishonest people have been involved in the recent rewriting of NZ history, e.g., Maori radicals with an agenda and pseudo-academics. Thankfully, the past has been captured in this audiobook (and Cook's written logs) where they cannot be tampered with.