380. Captain Cook: History’s Greatest Explorer (Part 1)
whatshot 74 snips
Oct 22, 2023
Explore the life of James Cook, the greatest sea explorer, starting from his humble Yorkshire beginnings. Discover how he navigated the treacherous seas with a crew that included an unusual assortment of animals. Delve into his complex legacy, addressing the controversial nature of his discoveries in Australia. Uncover the motivations behind Cook's voyages, the allure of the mythical Terra Australis, and how his views on indigenous cultures evolved. This fascinating journey opens up dialogues on exploration and its implications.
52:11
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Cook's "Discovery" of Australia
Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss Cook's "discovery" of Australia.
They highlight the prior presence of indigenous peoples and earlier explorers like Abel Tasman.
insights INSIGHT
Cook as an Emblematic Figure
Captain Cook embodies 18th-century England, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Discovery.
He is a rich subject for studying this era's mentality, including its complexities.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Cook's Humble Beginnings
James Cook, born in Yorkshire in 1728 to a Scottish laborer father and English mother.
Unlike Nelson, Cook's background is incredibly humble.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
From Botany Bay to Kew, The Natural Historian Who Shaped the World
Toby Musgrave
This book provides a comprehensive and researched biography of Joseph Banks, focusing on his significant contributions to botany, exploration, and the development of Kew Gardens. It explores his diverse interests and influential connections that shaped the world during his time. The book offers an engaging narrative of Banks's life, from his voyages with Captain Cook to his role as president of the Royal Society.
DISCOVERIES: THE VOYAGES OF CAPTAIN COOK
Nicholas Thomas
This book reimagines Captain Cook's journeys, focusing on the extraordinary encounters between his crew and the diverse cultures of the Pacific. It attempts to view these events without the bias of later historical perspectives, exploring both the experiences of Cook and his associates and the societies they encountered. The book provides a balanced view of Cook's legacy, considering both the positive and negative impacts of his voyages.
The greatest sea explorer of all time, James Cook was born to a humble Yorkshire family, and first stood out for his talents as a cartographer for the Royal Navy in Newfoundland. He would go on to lead three epic voyages to the Pacific during the 18th century, as part of history’s first ever scientific research team, accompanied by Joseph Banks, two cats, a dog and a goat. First sent to track the transit of Venus, he would go on to encounter a new continent, Terra Australis… Join Tom and Dominic in the first part of our series on Captain Cook, as they explore the life of a man who embodied the tensions and complexity of the Enlightenment, and its relationship with the wider world.
*The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*:
Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia!
The Rest Is History 
