BOOK REVIEW | Pacific Exploration – Voyages of Discovery from Captain Cook’s Endeavour to the Beagle

By Nigel Rigby, Pieter Van Der Merwe and Glyn Williams

This brilliantly presented and illustrated book is aimed at the general reader but is also of considerable interest to most maritime history enthusiasts. The authors are all notable maritime historians who specialise in British and Pacific exploration. Their work benefits immeasurably from its access to the priceless artworks of the National Maritime Museum Greenwich.

There is not much that is new here but it presents a very useful summary of some of the main voyages of Pacific exploration in the sixty years from 1770. What is relatively new and interesting, though, is the chapter on the perambulations and loss of Spanish navigator Alejandro Malaspina. He was one of the several non-Dutch and English explorers who we are fortunately now starting to learn about.

A very attractive and useful joint publishing venture by Adlard Coles and the National Maritime Museum.

Available from Adlard Coles, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, UK.

Web: www.adlardcoles.com