Longitude and empire : how Captain Cook's voyages changed the world / Brian W. Richardson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Richardson, Brian William, 1966-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Cook, James, 1728-1779--Influence.

Cook, James.

Discoveries in geography.

Voyages around the world--History--18th century.

Voyages around the world.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (256 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : UBC Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Before Captain Cook's three voyages, to Europeans the globe was uncertain and dangerous; after, it was comprehensible and ordered. Written as a conceptual field guide to the voyages, Longitude and Empire offers a significant rereading of both the expeditions and modern political philosophy. More than any other work, printed accounts of the voyages marked the shift from early modern to modern ways of looking at the world. The globe was no longer divided between Europeans and savages but populated instead by an almost overwhelming variety of national identities. Cook's voyages took the fragmented and obscure global descriptions available at the time and consolidated them into a single, comprehensive textual vision. Locations became fixed on the map and the people, animals, plants, and artifacts associated with them were identified, collected, understood, and assimilated into a world order. This fascinating account offers a new understanding of Captain Cook's voyages and how they affected the European world view.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Introductions

Points

Shapes

Nations

States

Collections

Empires

Conclusions

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-7748-5156-2

OCLC:

166335041