Farther Than Any Man: The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook

It started with the "Bounty Trilogy", and proceeded to the Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and then on to this captivating biography of Captain James Cook.If you want to feel the rocking of a wooden ship, and brisk ocean breezes in your face; hear the wind in the rigging and the creaking of the wood planks under your feet; and feel the fear rising in your throat as you realize that you are on a vast and fearsome ocean...alone; this book will take you there. James Cook was truly the quintessential Royal Navy officer and explorer. But the eight years of unrelenting stresses of command and exploring the unknown, took it's toll. The problem being, that In the midst of the strict peerage system of 18th century England, Cook was burdened with his humble station in life. It goes a long way in explaining Cook's obsession with taking on extremely dangerous voyages of discovery. That went hand in hand with his obsession to gain approval and praise from authority figures. Those circumstances tragically caught up with him. In the end though, Captain Cook was a magnificent mariner,an expert cartographer and navigator who personified the "ships of wood, men of iron" moniker. It is an unbelievable, and frightening adventure story. Read the book first, and then I strongly recommend the Captain James Cook Mini Series available on you tube.

The author indulges in hero worship while he carefully documents the life choices and caprice of destiny as applied to a dogged man, an institutional man, nonetheless enterprising and ambitious within the constraints of his circumstances. His excesses only increased as time passed and his mind was obviously affected by age, perhaps hardship, definitely hormone changes, and he crossed the fragile line between discipline and dementia. It cost him his life. Anything might have: a leak in the boat, a torn sail, or a change in the wind, but having survived all these other hardships it was actually the wind of his mind, which began to blow out of control. The overall accounting is not favorable and yet he did, in effect, travel farther than almost any other man, whose logs have reached us. Despite its prosaic journalistic style, a compelling book.

Hated to see it end. You often felt you were on the ship with Cook and 'the People'. Fun and entertaining, will look around for more works by the author...

It’s amazing how much Martin DuGard has managed to learn about Captain James Cook. It’s equally amazing how he manages to bring Cook’s adventures to life 250 years after the fact. And it’s not just the historical record that DuGard recreates so clearly, but also intangibles, like Cook’s state of mind. It takes an exceptionally skilled writer to convincingly transport the reader to the deck of a ship roving the South Pacific so long ago. Even a simple thing like Cook’s introduction of adjectives in his logbooks becomes meaningful for the reader. The scene in which Cook is murdered is rendered so clearly that it is easily visualized, and not easily forgotten. Farther Than Any Man is a remarkable biography of a remarkable man – by a remarkable author.

This is a wonderful book filled with information that explains the life of Captain Cook. The book provides information that most of us never knew about the captain. I learned a lot from the book and now better understand who Captain Cook was.

When I think of James Cook, Hawaii and the Cook Islands immediately come to mind. I knew nothing else about him. "Farther than Any Man" explores the life of James Cook from his modest upbringings to his death in a faraway place. You learn of the things in Cook's character and environment that drove him to seek success and recognition in the rigid class structure of England. Hard and dangerous life aboard ship on a voyage of discovery, Cook's treatment of crew and the natives he encountered are brought to life. You can feel a change come over Cook on his final and fatal voyage. A fine book for one interested in the bigger than life characters who went out and faced danger in the unknown during the age of discovery.

I was captivated by Martin Dugard's "Into Africa" - the story of Stanley's search for Dr. Livingston, and became an instant fan. As I neared the end of the book, I ordered from Amazon, "Farther Than Any Man" The Rise and Fall of Captain James Cook. Mr. Dugard has a way of taking the reader and putting him there with the greats - be they in the hard environment of deep unexplored Africa, or out on the vast unexplored seas with a legend. His writing is spellbinding, his research impeccable, his ability to paint a scene with words - genius. I love nautical adventure books and have many in my library. This one is around the top of the list. If you like to escape to a time when men were first exploring this world of ours, learn of the key players personalities and get totally wrapped up in the adventure, without the perils to self - you must read this book! You will not be disappointed!

Great book. Very Interesting book about a man of history that you don't hear a lot about.

I so enjoy reading a book written so well that you find yourself trave.ing back in time and can't put the book down as you wish to stay and see history as if you were there. Great book!

Très bon livre qui retrace l'aventure de James cook! narration croustillante qui m'a immergé entièrement dans le monde du navigateur. Il est à noter que le niveau d'anglais utilisé est élevé (tournure de phrases et mots utilisés).

Loved it.

The author discusses Cook's life and world explorations in interesting and eminently readable prose. The book begins with Cook's early life and follows it along to his untimely death, describing the many discoveries Cook made as well as the interactions Cook had with the various indigenous groups that he met during his world journeys . The societal mores and political interplay occurring at home in England that underlay Cook's rise to greatness are discussed in a fascinating way that provides remarkable insight into 17th century English life.I had previously learned about Cook as an explorer and world voyager. This book illuminates and fills out the details of his life in a way that allows the reader to understand Cook as an individual with all the greatness as well as the character flaws that made him who he was.Well worth a read.

Having recently travelled to Hawaii I wondered why Cook’s name is featured prominently on the big island. Now I know. What a great book recounting the incredible explorations of Captain Cook.