Episode Details

Preparation and the Lure of the Third Voyage. Guest Author: Hampton Sides. In 1776, a retired Captain James Cookwas living a comfortable life at Greenwich Hospital after two legendary voyages. However, a dinner with Lord Sandwich and the prospect of finding the Northwest Passage—and its £20,000 reward—convinced him to return to sea. Sides describes Cook's rise from poverty in Yorkshire, apprenticing under Quakers on "Whitby Cats," which were sturdy coal ships. This background instilled in him a sense of frugality and steadiness. Cook was a self-taught genius of hydrography, creating maps so accurate they rival modern satellite imagery. Despite his desire for retirement, his restlessness and the Admiralty's need for his unique mapmaking and leadership skills drove him to accept this final mission. 1
1781 DEATH OF COOK