Born in obscurity but gripped by a boundless passion for new horizons, James Cook had become at the time of his death in 1779 the greatest combination of seaman, explorer, navigator and cartographer that the world had ever known.
Between 1768 and 1779, Captain Cook circumnavigated the globe three times in voyages of discovery that broke record after record of exploration, endurance and personal achievement. He explored and charted the coasts of New Zealand, landed in Botany Bay, explored the Pacific, mapped its islands, and travelled further south than any man before him; he explored the Great Barrier Reef and travelled thousands of miles north to tackle the North-West Passage. He excelled in all aspects of his craft and inspired in his men an affection for him and an enthusiasm for his undertakings that provoked constant loyalty and unfailing endeavour In frequently savage conditions.
