In Cook's relatively short but adventurous life (1728-79) he voyaged to the eastern and western seaboards of North America, the North and South Pacific and the Artic and Antarctic bringing about a new comprehension of the world's geography and its peoples. He was a linking figure between the grey speculation of the early 18th century and the industrial age of the first half of the 19th century. This biography provides insights and interpretations of the life of one of the world's greatest mariners.