british

Follows the travels of English explorer Mary Kingsley who explored West Africa and challenged European views of African peoples and culture.

"From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook's death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment? Hampton Sides' bravura account of Cook's last journey both wrestles with Cook's legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s. Cook was renowned for his peerless seamanship, his humane leadership, and his dedication to science -the famed naturalist Joseph Banks accompanied him on his first voyage, and Cook has been called one of the most important figures of the Age of Enlightenment. He was also deeply interested in the native people he encountered. In fact, his stated mission was to return a Tahitian man, Mai, who had become the toast of London, to his home islands. On previous expeditions, Cook mapped huge swaths of the Pacific, including the east coast of Australia, and initiated first European contact with numerous peoples. He treated his crew well, and endeavored to learn about the societies he encountered with curiosity and without judgment. Yet something was different on this last voyage. Cook became mercurial, resorting to the lash to enforce discipline, and led his two vessels into danger time and again. Uncharacteristically, he ordered violent retaliation for perceived theft on the part of native peoples. This may have had something to do with his secret orders, which were to chart and claim lands before Britain's imperial rivals could, and to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. Whatever Cook's intentions, his scientific efforts were the sharp edge of the colonial sword, and the ultimate effects of first contact were catastrophic for Indigenous people around the world. The tensions between Cook's overt and covert missions came to a head on the shores of Hawaii. His first landing there was harmonious, but when Cook returned after mapping the coast of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, his exploitative treatment of the Hawaiians led to the fatal encounter. At once a ferociously-paced story of adventure on the high seas and a searching examination of the complexities and consequences of the Age of Exploration, THE WIDE WIDE SEA is a major work from one of our finest narrative nonfiction writers"--.

"Blowing snow and frigid temperatures were no match for even the bravest explorers. Robert Falcon Scott led his men to their death amidst the frozen landscape near the South Pole in 1912. Follow along with the true story of a doomed expedition to uncharted land. Then, review what you've learned with a recap timeline and a quick quiz to check how much doomed history you remember"--Provided by publisher.

Introduces the science behind Shackleton's epic Antarctic journey, and discusses how weather patterns determined the fate of Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, and how the crew used their few resources to survive on the ice.

"Impeccably researched, and written like a thriller, Edmund Richardson's The King's Shadow is the extraordinary untold and wild journey of Charles Masson - think Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid meets Indiana Jones - and his search for the Lost City of Alexandria in the "Wild East" during the age of empires, kings, and spies. For centuries the city of Alexandria Beneath the Mountains was a meeting point of East and West. Then it vanished. In 1833 it was discovered in Afghanistan by the unlikeliest person imaginable: Charles Masson, deserter, pilgrim, doctor, archaeologist, spy, one of the most respected scholars in Asia, and the greatest of nineteenth-century travelers"--Provided by publisher.

In graphic novel format, describes the life and voyages of John Cabot, the Italian-born explorer who claimed land in the New World for England in 1497.

A memoir in which Sir Ernest Shackleton provides a personal account of his expedition to Antarctica in 1914, a voyage that resulted in disaster when his ship, the Endurance, became locked in sea ice and was stranded for nine months before being crushed.

A brief biography of Italian explorer John Cabot, who in hopes of finding a shorter route to Asia landed in Newfoundland, Canada.

A brief biography of the self-educated nineteenth-century Englishwoman who, after a secluded childhood and youth, traveled alone through unexplored West Africa in 1893 and 1894 and learned much about the area and its inhabitants.

"Could you survive being stranded in the Antarctic? Ernest Shackleton: Survival in the Antarctic in the True Survival series explores Shackleton's shocking survival story. The book is written with a high interest level and lower level of complexity to serve more mature students reading at lower levels. Clear visuals, colorful photographs (including images of the survivors!), and considerate text help with comprehension and wild facts hold the readers' interest from the first page to the last. A table of contents, glossary, and index all enhance comprehension and vocabulary"--From the publisher's web site.