“The Wide Wide Sea” by Hampton Sides

This is solid read. Hampton Sides is an under appreciated author. His specialty is historical fiction. He is famous for meticulous research, painstakingly examining original sources. He is willing to challenge conventional wisdom when the paper trail leads him in that direction. He doesn’t manifest obvious political agendas or ideological biases in his treatment of controversial topics. I loved his earlier work Ghost Soldiers, a gripping tale of a WWII American special forces rescue of prisoners of war (Bataan Death march Survivors) held by the Japanese Army in a brutal and sadistic camp in the south Pacific. An amazing and inspiring story which I enthusiastically recommend to our reading audience.

The Wide Wide Sea applies the same research techniques and writing style to a late 18th century voyage of exploration. The protagonist is the legendary British Naval Commander, Captain James Cook. The narrative examines Captain Cook’s third world circumnavigation voyage. We cast off from England, head down the West African coast, sail around the Cape of Good Hope, proceed westward across the Pacific, south around Australia and New Zealand, stops in the Cook Islands and Tahiti, back in an easterly direction to discover Hawaii, then to the west coast of America at Oregon/Washington territory, north to Canada and Alaska in futile attempt to locate the Northwest Passage and a return trip to Hawaii where Captain Cook is killed by the locals. A four year journey- amazing in real time and in retrospect. We are fortunate that Sides relentlessly searched the journals of officers and sailors who made the voyage, including Cook’s. He also reviewed all previously generated writings on the trip and visited Hawaii and Tahiti to explore the oral histories passed down by the indigenous people. Many lessons here for the modern man! We do a deep dive into Captain Cook and his legacy. We confront the moral complexities surrounding the exploration of faraway lands by western powers and face complicated questions about the nature of colonialism and its impact on indigenous peoples. Sides is fair- not on a high horse. JUST THE FACTS MAN!

Captain Cook had a wondrous record of accomplishment before commencing on this third voyage. He could have rested on his laurels. He had basically circled the world twice already. He mapped Australia’s location, size and borders, discovered New Zealand and Tahiti and mapped the Pacific region with such accuracy that his maps were used by modern navies until the mid 20th century. He ventured into Antartica. He pioneered new maritime navigation methods. He didn’t get lost! He cured “scurvy” and established hygiene and disciplinary standards for his crew. The political masters in London gave him great discretion and a healthy budget. He befriended King George III. He was happily married and avoided the sexual allure and temptation presented in visits to the captivating islands in the south Pacific. He had avoided the charges of brutality in the treatment of indigenous peoples frequently associated with other European explorers. His diaries showed thoughtful respect for native cultures. A reputation for integrity and brilliance accompanied him as he began his last voyage.

If only life were so simple! Sides clearly shows that Cook lost a bit of his edge on his final trip. He almost crashed his ship off the African coast. He became harsher in his treatment of his crew. His attitudes toward local populations hardened as they began to bargain more aggressively on trade and access. His diaries manifest white supremacy type attitudes and questioned the long term compatibility of western culture and local mores. He used violent methods to suppress the locals on multiple occasions and authorised a massacre of civilians on his visit to Hawaii. He began to mirror his own press clippings and enjoyed the Hawaiians treating him as a Godlike figure. However, he continued to do great things. He mapped the Alaska- Russia corridor and the Canadian and American Pacific northwest. He continued to qualify as Master of the Sea which explains why statues of him remain in central squares in London, Sydney, Melbourne, Christchurch and Victoria. A fun fact. Captain Bligh of Mutiny on the Bounty fame was one of his junior officers on the voyage.

Sides discusses the negative impacts of British settlement on indigenous people; sexual transgressions and disease and plagues leading to the decimation of the local population. There are incidents of periodic violence that become more systematic and sustained. The disparity in weaponry makes any conflict a one sided affair. There is disregard for local landmarks, religious symbols, customs and traditions. A soft racism in the British approach is not far from the surface. We now know that Cook’s explorations in the Pacific led to British colonisation in the region and eventual subjugation of local tribes and peoples. Many legacy questions stare us in the face and require consideration. Sides is helpful.

The British Empire is not particularly popular in our current political environment. In many ways , the glories of the Empire have been “cancelled” by a “woke” and “politically correct” culture. The assumption is that the British were oppressors and the locals were the oppressed and the sins of the British are unforgivable- basically a basis for a constant claims of grievance and reparations by the indigenous peoples who suffered from British rule. I submit the record is more complicated. It is undeniable there were awful components in the British record. As colonialists, they created enormous “human” costs to their new subjects. The litany of error is imposing: Famine, disease, ethnic cleansing, population displacement, slave trade, forced labor and internment. There was culture destruction and creation of arbitrary and irrational borders. Economically, there was removal of resources without compensation, land expropriation, elimination of local industry and widely unfair trade agreements. There was a conscious policy of dividing and conquering the locals by fostering religious and tribal conflicts. Many British policies were destructive- certainly controversial BUT…

The British left a positive institutional legacy in many of their colonies. Heck, many are still part of the British Commonwealth. They left parliamentary and democratic political systems, common law legal principles, independent judiciaries, civil service structures, educational institutions including universities. English became the global language and the creation of stable financial and banking institutions created a framework for international development, global trade and financial standardisation. Business practices were modernised and there were incredible leaps forward in agricultural methods and public health systems. Soccer, rugby and cricket became international sports. They built railways, port, bridges, and communication systems. Frankly, they laid the foundation for the modern world. I often wonder- do the current critics actually believe the British should not have embraced on the Age of Exploration? Do they believe the West simply should have visited and wished the locals the best of luck. Should the original tribes resume control of Australia and New Zealand. Should the USA- a blood descendant of the Brits return North America to the Indians? I think not! The British era of exploration and colonialism is not ALL BAD. I plead guilty to being a quasi Anglophile- rather shocking for an American Irish Catholic who supports Irish nationalism and is very critical of British rule in Ireland for hundreds of years.

A final observation on Mr Sides fine book. The British were amazing explorers. Venturing out into the world was a conscious government policy that was supported and executed by the British Admiralty, private entities like the East India Company and given cultural and intellectual legitimacy by groups like the Royal Geographic Society. The Spaniards, French, Portuguese and Dutch were all active in the game but the Brits were in a class of their own when it came to exploration and discovery. Captain Cook was not alone- he had distinguished predecessors and successors. Based on my readings, an abbreviated list follows!

1) Sir Francis Drake- Elizabethan Era- the first global navigator. He explored the Pacific coast of the Americas.

2) Walter Raleigh; The search for “El Dorado”- settled for Virgina and the coast of South America.

3) John Franklin: Mapped Canada and the Artic Coast.

4) David Livingston: South Africa, Victoria Falls; maps of African lakes and river networks.

5) John Speke; East Africa and discovered the source of the Nile at Lake Victoria.

6) Henry Stanley; explored the Congo- aided the brutal King Leopold in search for ivory and rubber.

7) Ernest Shackleton; 3 expeditions to Anartica

There are many more! Kudos to Captain Cook and “How About Those Brits”!