Captain Cook

The most important explorer of his day, Captain James Cook's coat of arms carries the motto: "He left nothing unattempted". During three major voyages, first in HMS "Endeavour" and subsequently in HMS "Resolution", Cook added many new places to the world map, including the islands of Hawaii. He charted the coast of New Zealand, and the east coast of Australia, conducted important astronomical observations, witnessing the transit of Venus from Tahiti, and began the search for a north-west passage from the Pacific side. But perhaps Cook's achievement as a seaman is greater than his achievement as a discoverer. With huge energy and enterprise, he pioneered trade routes and skilfully mapped the seas, thus dispelling the cloud of the unknown for his fellow seamen. Alan Villiers's biography reveals the many talents and qualities of the young man who began work on the "coal cats" of the North Sea trade and went on to become the greatest Pacific explorer of all time.