A highly detailed and accurate look at the life of Captain Cook, told brilliantly by Rob Mundle.

Author:	Rob Mundle
Publisher:	Sydney, NSW: ABC Books / HarperCollins Publishers Australia, 2017. ©2013 First published: 2013.
ISBN:	9780733335433 0733335438
Characteristics:	412 pages: illustrations, maps; 20 cm.
Source:	Yarra Plenty Library Service
Date Read:	2-April-2026

As for other books by Rob Mundle, Captain James Cook has been thoroughly researched and is well written in an easy-to-understand flow.

Recent appearances of Captain Cook in the media have painted him as a nefarious coloniser. In reality this is far from the truth. He was a brilliant seaman, cartographer, navigator, scientist and an inspiring and fair leader of men; and he had a genuine concern for their health and well-being whilst aboard. He undertook voyages to better man’s knowledge and to improve shipping. Sure, colonisation was helped because of his discoveries and maps but that was Cook’s only involvement.

After reading about Cook, I have nothing but admiration and respect for someone who achieved so much in often difficult circumstances.

Scientific References

I particularly like the references to science. One important achievement was improving navigation by testing improved time pieces. Accurate time is vital in calculating longitude correctly. Many ships have floundered without knowing their position accurately. The author also notes that cloudy skies can make the job impossible too, and “dead reckoning” is used, which is taking an educated guess where you are. Some captains were much better at it than others. Cook was good at it, probably due to his brilliant cartography skills.

Of all the equipment put aboard Resolution, the most notable and exciting was the Larcum Kendall K1 chronometer, which was a replica of the acclaimed Harrison H4 – the most advanced timepiece in the world for the calculation of longitude. The H3, the predecessor of the H4, had taken its creator, John Harrison, seventeen years to make. The H4 was noted for its accuracy and the fact that, because it was virtually frictionless, the system required no oiling. Also, with pendulums having proved to be unreliable aboard a ship, Harrison’s chronometers had opposing balances in their mechanisms, a feature that eliminated the effect of the ship’s pitching and rolling motion on the clocks. The K1, like the H4, had the appearance of a large pocket watch of almost 5 inches diameter.

The H4 was noted for having a jewelled mechanism and was said to be ‘a thing of beauty’. In describing his timepiece, Harrison said: ‘Fifty years of self-denial, unremitting toil, and ceaseless concentration. I think I may make bold to say, that there is neither any other Mechanism or Mathematical thing in the World that is more beautiful or curious in texture than this my watch or timekeeper for the Longitude.’

Captain James Cook, by Rob Mundle. Page 263.

Much of the voyage’s time was spent on observing the transit of Venus, which was to play an important role in the development of nautical navigation. It meant positioning observer’s much distance apart with the correct functioning instruments. This was quite a task with sailing ships that didn’t always go where needed and thieving natives who stole things for the sake of it.

Ship Repairs

If the ship got damaged, and it often did, it was possible to pull into a harbour and harvest the materials needed. Then skilled carpenters would rebuild the ship. Which is quite amazing given how remote they would have been from help. Not everything could be fixed, including sails which often blew out in strong winds.

Cook’s Downfall

As for the rest of the book this part covers Cook’s demise. The first visit to Hawaii was met with over friendly natives only too eager to offer Cook’s men food and even their women. They were seen as reincarnated Gods. So, when the HMS Resolution and HMS Discovery departed for the Northwest passage they left on excellent terms with the locals.

Unfortunately, only days after departing the two ships were hit with a massive storm and had to return to Hawaii. The return was met with anger as their “greedy” gods had returned. Perhaps the deity gloss had worn off, or they had overstayed their welcome; the atmosphere was completely different. Things were stolen, retributions extracted and things went from bad to worse in relations, ending with Cook making a hasty retreat only to be struck down by a native.

The crew continued on and attempted to push through the Northwest passage; because if successful it would take months off the return to England. Unfortunately, it was too late into winter, and their path was closed off by ice. With sheer determination and luck they made it back from the brink of disaster to home.

Cook’s children now had no father. The Cook family was a tragic story with only one child living into adulthood.

Conclusion

Captain Cook is a highly enjoyable and educational read. Rob Mundle has taken great care to research and craft a text that is engaging and wonderful to read. Highly recommended. Geoffery Blainey has also written about Captain James Cook, so that will be a great follow-up read.

Further Reading

• The Life of Captain James Cook, by John Cawte Beaglehole (1974).
  (Main reference used by the author)
• Resolution: Captain Cook’s Second Voyage of Discovery, written by Peter Aughton and published by Phoenix (2005);
• Captain James Cook: A Biography, from the pen of Richard Hough and published by Coronet Books (1994);
• Tony Horwitz’s witty and informative Blue Latitudes, published by Picador USA (2002);
• The Life of Captain James Cook, the Circumnavigator by Arthur Kitson, published by John Murray (1912; first published 1907);
• Andrew Kippis, A Narrative of the Voyages around the World, Performed by Captain James Cook, published by Porter & Coates (1850; first published 1783);
• Ship: 5,000 Years of Maritime Adventure by Brian Lavery, published by Dorling Kindersley (2010).

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