The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator

The biography traces the subject's humble Yorkshire origins and apprenticeship, early naval service aboard several men-of-war, and development as a skilled navigator and surveyor. It follows preparations for and execution of three major Pacific voyages, describing visits to the Society Islands, New Zealand, the eastern coast of Australia and New Guinea, and subsequent returns to England. The narrative interweaves shipboard life, scientific and cartographic work, encounters with indigenous peoples, and administrative details, and concludes with an assessment of personality, reputation, and legacy.