Endeavour: The Story Of Captain Cook's First Great Epic Voyage
By Peter Aughton
Published by Cassell & Co: Gloucestershire 2002 1st Edition
"Endeavour: The Story of Captain Cook's First Great Epic Voyage by Peter Aughton is a richly illustrated and engaging narrative account of James Cook's first circumnavigation aboard HMS Endeavour between 1768 and 1771. Blending authoritative scholarship with accessible storytelling, Aughton traces the voyage from its scientific and geopolitical motivations—most notably the observation of the transit of Venus and the search for Terra Australis—through the immense practical challenges of long-distance navigation, disease, uncharted seas, and cross-cultural encounters. The book brings vividly to life the personalities on board, including Cook himself and the young naturalist Joseph Banks, while grounding the narrative firmly in contemporary journals and primary sources.
Published by Cassell & Co in 2002 as a first edition, this work is distinguished by its high production values, featuring maps, paintings, engravings, and botanical and ethnographic illustrations that echo the visual legacy of the voyage. Aughton successfully balances the epic sweep of maritime exploration with close attention to daily shipboard life and the profound scientific and cultural consequences of the journey, particularly in relation to Australia and the Pacific. This book will appeal especially to readers of Australian colonial history, maritime exploration enthusiasts, and admirers of well-illustrated historical non-fiction."
