Journal of the HMS Resolution

The son of a farm labourer, James Cook lacked every worldly requisite of a successful naval career in the eighteenth century. His rise to eminence owed all to merit. In one decade, he opened up the Pacific, discovery and charting hitherto unknown land and seas with masterly flair and judgement. In his journals of these memorable voyages, Cook writes with humanity and insight about the places he visited and the peoples he encountered.