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Hampton Sides Books

1 book·~10 min total read

Hampton Sides is an American historian, journalist, and author known for his narrative nonfiction works such as 'Ghost Soldiers' and 'In the Kingdom of Ice'. His writing often focuses on exploration, adventure, and pivotal moments in history.

Known for: The Wide Wide Sea

Books by Hampton Sides

The Wide Wide Sea

The Wide Wide Sea

world_history·10 min read

A narrative nonfiction work exploring the 18th-century voyages of Captain James Cook, focusing on his final expedition and death in Hawaii. The book examines the clash between European exploration and indigenous cultures, offering a richly detailed account of discovery, ambition, and human encounter at the edge of the known world.

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1

The Age of Exploration and the Making of a Legend

To understand the significance of Cook’s final voyage, we must first return to the world that made him possible. The 18th century was a crucible of ambition. European empires competed for global dominance, and science was fast becoming both a creed and a weapon. Britain’s Admiralty saw the ocean not...

From The Wide Wide Sea

2

The Third Voyage: Ambition and Disquiet

Cook’s third voyage was conceived as both a scientific endeavor and a geopolitical maneuver. Officially, he was to return a Tahitian man named Mai — a living symbol of Britain’s goodwill — to his home island, and then proceed northward to hunt for a navigable Arctic route linking the Pacific and Atl...

From The Wide Wide Sea

About Hampton Sides

Hampton Sides is an American historian, journalist, and author known for his narrative nonfiction works such as 'Ghost Soldiers' and 'In the Kingdom of Ice'. His writing often focuses on exploration, adventure, and pivotal moments in history.

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Hampton Sides is an American historian, journalist, and author known for his narrative nonfiction works such as 'Ghost Soldiers' and 'In the Kingdom of Ice'. His writing often focuses on exploration, adventure, and pivotal moments in history.

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