Kirkus An acclaimed historian takes to the sea in this rousing tale of exploration. Sides, author of Hellhound on His Trail and Ghost Soldiers, writes that James Cook’s (1728-1779) voyages “form a morally complicated tale that has left a lot for modern sensibilities to unravel and critique.” The author seeks to “describe what happened during his consequential, ambitious, and ultimately tragic final voyage,” with 180 people on two ships—the Discovery and the Resolution, captained by William Bligh—that embarked in July 1776. Along with a wide range of animals, leaving with Cook was Mai, a Tahitian whose “life story offered a poignant allegory of first contact between England and the people of Oceania.” The plan was to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, drop Mai off on an island, claim any new territories, and search for the Northwest Passage. Fortunately, Capt. Charles Clerke, released from debtor’s prison, joined the Discovery in Plymouth. Crew members were noticing changes in Cook’s demeanor. They reached Cape Town in October, rested, and repaired and restocked. After Clerke arrived, they set off in November. In late January, they reached Tasmania and then New Zealand. In August, they arrived at Tahiti, the “place of their wildest desires,” and removed most of the animals the king gave them. When a Native islander stole a goat, Cook began destroying canoes and setting fires on Moorea, “punishing the many for the misdeeds of an individual.” In December, Cook headed north, eventually reaching America’s western coast, Alaska, Asia, and the icy Arctic Circle, making contact with many Natives. His voyage ended in Hawaii when he was killed by angry Natives in a grisly fight. Sides draws on numerous contemporaneous sources to create a fascinating, immersive adventure story featuring just the right amount of historical context. Lusciously detailed and insightful history, masterfully told. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Book list The best-selling Sides (On Desperate Ground, 2018) tackles the somewhat controversial topic of contact between European explorers and Indigenous peoples through the life and exploits of the great British navigator and cartographer James Cook in this adventure of the high seas. Cook set sail from London in July 1776 with the objectives of returning a Polynesian man to his home islands after an extended stay in England and exploring the Pacific coast of North America in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. Sides has an impressive knack for immersing the reader in the realities of seafaring, from the miseries of vermin, disease, and accidental deaths to the need for supplies and repairs on Cook’s vessels—all expertly contrasted with the exhilaration of reaching new and different locales. Sides proceeds objectively, describing the voyage as it was while also providing an historical context and current scholarly arguments surrounding the effects of European exploration. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, The Wide Wide Sea will delight readers new to the topic as well as those versed in earlier looks at James Cook and his milieu.

From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly Bestseller Sides (On Desperate Ground) recreates in this propulsive account the final expedition of Captain James Cook (1728–1779), which culminated with his murder by native Hawaiians. Diving into the long-standing mystery of what went wrong, Sides spins an observation made by previous chroniclers—that “on his final voyage something wasn’t quite right with the famous captain... his personality had definitely changed”—into a sidelong indictment of imperialism. Tracing Cook’s transformation from toast of the Enlightenment, a heroic “mariner-scientist” who ferried naturalists around the world and made friends with Natives, to violent authoritarian who dispensed brutal punishments for minor infractions, like theft of supplies, against Indigenous communities as well as his crew, Sides eschews the conventional “medical” explanation of Cook’s “profoundly changed... outlook.” Instead, Sides insinuates, the “sinister force pulling at his psyche and his soul” was Cook’s growing conviction—heightened by increasingly frequent signs that Spanish vessels were exploring the same territories in the Pacific—that he must be more ruthless in claiming new land for Britain. With an admirably light touch, Sides teases out his convincing thesis amid a riveting day-by-day narrative of the voyage and fascinating asides on such matters as the fierce anthropological debate over whether the Hawaiians really considered Cook to be the god Lono. This exquisitely crafted and novelistic portrait of the mercurial captain enthralls. (Apr.)

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Publishers Weekly : With this book, Follett risks all and comes out a clear winner, escaping the narrow genre of suspense thrillers to take credit for a historical novel of gripping readability, authentic atmosphere and detail and memorable characterization. Set in 12th-century England, the narrative concerns the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through four decades during which social and political upheaval and the internal politics of the church affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists. The insightful portrayals of an idealistic master builder, a pious, dogmatic but compassionate prior and an unscrupulous, ruthless bishop are balanced by those of a trio of independent, resourceful women (one of them quite loathesome) who can stand on their own as memorable characters in any genre. Beginning with a mystery that casts its shadow on ensuing events, the narrative is a seesaw of tension in which circumstances change with shocking but true-to-life unpredictability. Follett's impeccable pacing builds suspense in a balanced narrative that offers action, intrigue, violence and passion as well as the step-by-step description of an edifice rising in slow stages, its progress tied to the vicissitudes of fortune and the permutations of evolving architectural style. Follett's depiction of the precarious balance of power between monarchy and religion in the Middle Ages, and of the effects of social upheavals and the forces of nature (storms, famines) on political events; his ability to convey the fine points of architecture so that the cathedral becomes clearly visualized in the reader's mind; and above all, his portrayals of the enduring human emotions of ambition, greed, bravery, dedication, revenge and love, result in a highly engrossing narrative. Manipulating a complex plot in which the characters interact against a broad canvas of medieval life, Follett has written a novel that entertains, instructs and satisfies on a grand scale. 400,000 first printing; $400,000 ad/promo; Literary Guild main dual selection; author tour.

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