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

Prolific narrative historian Sides (On Desperate Ground) weaves a gripping tale of Captain James Cook’s final, fateful voyage, culminating in his death in Hawai‘i. Sides summarizes Cook’s early life and sheds light on his peculiar personality and scientific beliefs, leadership, and earlier sea voyages. On February 14, 1779, Cook attempted to abduct Kalani�ōpu�u, the ruling chief of Hawai‘i, after Hawaiian warriors stole Cook’s cutter boat. In the ensuing 10-minute battle, Cook, four of his men, and 20 Hawaiian warriors were killed. Sides’s thrilling narrative clarifies Cook’s role as a European visitor to the Pacific islands, highlights the cultural differences between the Europeans and the Indigenous Hawaiians, and explains the sordid legacy of colonialism. Award-winning narrator Peter Noble’s steady pace and well-placed inflections enhance the narrative and invite listeners to fully explore this remarkable tale.