Description
Book Synopsis**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**
An inventive biography of one of the most famous ships of all time - recently discovered off the coast of America- Endeavour is an alluring combination of history, adventure and science.
From Johnson's Dictionary to campaigns for liberty, the Enlightenment was an age of endeavours. It was also the name given to a commonplace, coal-carrying vessel bought by the Royal Navy in 1768 for an expedition to the South Seas.
No one could have guessed that Endeavour would go on to become the most significant ship in the history of British exploration.
Endeavour famously carried Captain James Cook on his first great voyage, but her complete story has never been told before. Here, Peter Moore sets out to explore the different lives of this remarkable ship - from the acorn that grew into the oak that made her, to her rich and complex legacy.
'Fascinating and richly detailed... Peter Moore has brought us an acute insight into the ship that carried some of the most successful explorers across the world. A fine book that's definitely worth exploring' MICHAEL PALIN
Trade ReviewMr Moore is a dazzling new arrival: a witty, intelligent and hugely entertaining writer * Wall Street Journal *
A joy of a biography, offering up a blizzard of maritime and political fascinations... Moore has written a book that makes the case for his little ship both compelling and irrefutable -- Simon Winchester * New York Times *
Moore uses Endeavour as a window to the age of enlightenment. Like the period it recounts, this book has enormous energy, creativity and self-confidence. It's a feast of endless exotic dishes, all delivered with immense style -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times Books of the Year *
Beautifully constructed, his book is not just the history of a single vessel, but a window into the intellectual and political life of the age of enlightenment, from the thrill of botanical discovery to the horror of Cook's last moments on the beaches of Hawaii -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times Books of the Year *
A dazzling combination of science and adventure, lyrically evocative descriptions of lush tropical landscapes and salt-stung seascapes, and a portrait of an age…an absolute joy from start to finish, and surely my history book of the year -- Christopher Hart * Sunday Times *
