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Arctic Ambitions

Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage

David L Nicandri , Ed. James K Barnett
Captain Cook is best known for his South Pacific voyages, but his exploration of the American Arctic in pursuit of the elusive Northwest Passage is arguably of equal importance. Published to accompany an exhibition at Anchorage, Alaska, this collection of essays assesses the impact of Cook’s journey on Russo-British relations and its legacy for later navigators. The text is lavishly illustrated with contemporary paintings, documents and maps, including Cook’s own charts of the Newfoundland coast.
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Product information:
  • Publisher: Washington UP
  • Year: 2015
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 448pp
  • Illustrated: Yes
  • Dimensions: 222x275mm
  • ISBN: 9780295993997
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 2kg
Product code:
505644
Product information
Full publisher description
Captain James Cook is justly famous for his explorations of the southern Pacific Ocean, but his contributions to the exploration of the northern Pacific and the Arctic are arguably equally significant. On his third and final great voyage, Cook surveyed the northwest American coast in the hopes of finding the legendary Northwest Passage. While dreams of such a passage proved illusory, Cook's journey produced some of the finest charts, collections, and anthropological observations of his career, helped establish British relations with Russia, and opened the door to the hugely influential maritime fur trade.

Accompanying an exhibition of the same name, Arctic Ambitions: Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage sheds new light on Cook's northern exploration. A collection of essays from an international and interdisciplinary group of scholars, the book uses artifacts, charts, and records of the encounters between Native peoples and explorers to tell the story of this remarkable voyage and its historical context. In addition to discussing Cook's voyage itself, the book also provides new insights into Cook's legacy and his influence on subsequent expeditions in the Pacific Northwest. Finally, the collection uses Cook's voyage as a springboard to consider the promise and challenge of the "new north" today, demonstrating that it remains, as in Cook's time, a unique meeting place of powerful political, cultural, economic, and environmental forces.
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