by Graeme Lay
The second book in Graeme Lay’s trilogy continues in fictional form the story of navigator James Cook’s triumphs and tragedies, as this dutiful, driven man seeks to discover and put in place the last pieces of Earth’s geographic jigsaw puzzle.
In 1771, at the age of 43, James Cook has recently returned from an epic circumnavigation in HMS Endeavour. Promoted by his sovereign, King George III, to the rank of captain, he is instructed to embark on a search of the Southern Hemisphere.
This voyage proves to be one of the longest and most perilous ever undertaken. In command of HMS Resolution and its consort vessel HMS Adventure, Cook ventures further south than any other previous voyagers.
Although this second world circumnavigation represents a personal triumph for Cook, his successes count for little to his wife, Elizabeth, when tragic losses occur at home. Her misgivings prompt James to frequently wonder: where does duty to King and Country end, and loyalty to wife and family begin?
‘… a masterful re-creation of James Cook’s late eighteenth century world.’
Landfall
‘A rattling good yarn … just about everything you would expect from a sea story.’
Otago Daily Times