The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

The Admiralty, the authority responsible for the command of the Royal Navy in Britain, plays a significant role in The Wide Wide Sea. It oversees and finances Captain Cook’s voyages, reflecting the British Empire’s strategic and scientific ambitions. The Admiralty’s influence underscores the political and economic motivations behind exploration, highlighting the interplay between national interests and scientific inquiry.

Cook’s approach to studying the Indigenous cultures he encountered is a key topic in the book. His detailed and empathetic documentation of rituals, customs, and social structures exemplifies early anthropological observation, which entails watching and recording the activities of a group in their setting. This method underscores the Enlightenment values of curiosity and knowledge, emphasizing Cook’s role in expanding European understanding of diverse cultures. However, it also perpetuates Eurocentrism and the power dynamics of viewing Indigenous people as objects of study and European observers as intellectual subjects.

“Cultural exchange” refers to the interactions and mutual influences between people; in this text, between Cook’s crew and the Indigenous people they encounter. These exchanges, both positive and negative, reveal the complexities of first contact and the impact of European exploration on Indigenous societies. The term underscores the book’s exploration of the nuances and consequences of cross-cultural interactions.