The Wide Wide Sea

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides

The last of Cook's three Pacific voyages proved to be fatal, and he would never return to England. As a navigator and map maker he was very much ahead of his time. It is amazing what he was able to accomplish with the crude instruments that he had available to him. The author points out that Cook had an 'anthropological' view of the new civilizations that he would find, long before the discipline of anthropology was founded, and against the trends of the time when most people viewed people as primitive and backward.

There is much that cannot be known about Cook on this last voyage, but evidence points to the fact that he acted uncharacteric on this voyage, which ultimately got him killed. By the time of his third voyage he was beyond the age that many captains would be when trying this kind of voyage. This is a great story of a great explorer. Among his crew on this last voyage were the young William Bligh and George Vancouver, so Cook did lay the groundwork for the future of British expansion into an Empire.

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks

A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins

In many ways this reads more as a textbook that a casual read. The author is very thorough in his descriptions. It is interesting that this is also the history of under water archaeology, that did not really begin until the late 1940s after Jacque Cousteau had created the modern scuba diving system. The shipwrecks are described starting with the oldest that have been salvaged and goes up to a shipwreck from WW2. His descriptions are good and intriguing, and do make we want to visit some of these wrecks that have been salvaged, like the English ship the Mary Rose.

Ghost Town Living

Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley by Brent Underwood

The author is already known to many through his social media presence, which apparently documented much of what is described in this book. Brent bought an abandoned mining town on a mountain above Death Valley in 2018 and then proceeded to restore and explore. He goes through many tribulations, develops a community of locals that help him out, and in the process has many philisophical thoughts. The people he meets are people who have chosen to live in Death Valley so are definately out of the mainstream.

Twelve Trees

Twelve Trees: The Deep Roots of Our Future by Daniel Lewis

This book is not about 12 individual trees, but twelve tree types. The author illustrates the history of the trees, what makes them unique, their native habitats etc. And he describes how environmental change is affecting the trees. He describes trees such as the bristlecone pine and the baobob. This book can be a bit dense in its details, but it is done well.

Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism

Edward R. Murrow and the Birth of Broadcast Journalism by Bob Edwards. Bob Edwards recently passed away, and that is how I found out about this book. Of course I knew the name Murrow, but did not know the extent to which he created broadcast news. A relatively short life, but a very impactful one. He really was at the center of many of the major events of the 20th century.

The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel

Rudolf Diesel created, yes, the diesel engine. As a more effecient and powerful engine he saw this as a way to further the advance of civilization. Diesel fuel does not burn so is safer when using, especially in a boat, where a fire can be horrible. His engines used in shipping and then in submarines allowed major advancements. However, he became disalusioned that his engine became a main tool for use with war. Especially as Germany rearmed and tried to retain exclusive rights to the engine. Rudolf was german. The ending of this books illustrates the mystery of what happened to him, he may have drown on a fairy crossing of the english channel, or he may have faked his death, which there is good evidence for.

Astor and Vanderbilt

These two books follow the two wealthy american families the Astors and Vanderbilts, tracing how they obtained their vast wealth and how they spent their money. The Astors held on to their money for much longer, but both families fortunes finally came to an end.