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Summary: Blue latitutes not Cook history
Review: I was expecting more info on Captain Cook and his exploits and not so much on the author and his buddy flying around visiting depressing islands and talking to people who had nothing to do with Cook and what he accomplished. The book was a rambling travelog and not much value if you are interested in what happened over 200 years ago. Although there was some interesting history included, it makes up less than half the contents of the book.
The author missed an opportunity by not expanding on what Cook did, how he did it, the tools he used, and how hard it was to do in the world in which he lived.
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Summary: Simply great travel, history, and detective story
Review: The book got off to a slow start and I was sure it was not going to hold up to Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux, my two favorite travel "entertainers". I had always wanted to read a biography of Capt. Cook and never got around to it. But as I read on I found myself enjoying every detail of Tony Horwitz's trip and his discoveries. Very entertaining way to present what is a biography. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in travel or Capt. Cook.
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Summary: Entertaining and Informative
Review: Readers interested in a pure historical perspective of the three circumnavigational expeditions of Capt James Cook may be disappointed and justifiably critical of this book. Tony Horwitz
does, however, present here a very entertaining and informative rendition of what modern day influences and current opinions (good and bad/ deserved or undeserved) Capt. Cook and those voyages may have in the regions he explored. Overall, it is well written and engaging. For those who may seek a more formal and classical history of James Cook, those works are abundant.
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Summary: Looking for Cook............
Review: Admittedly, I'm a big fan of travel writing which incorporates a good dose of humor ala Bill Bryson. Horwitz has accomplished exactly that. Tracing the route of the intrepid 18th century explorer James Cook, Horwitz travels from Australia to Alaska and many points in between seeking to connect personally with one of Britain's most famous mariners. In tow is a friend named Roger whose quiver of well timed one-liners are often quite humorous.Throughout the book, Horwitz switches between the chronological tale of his travels and those of his subject, Cook. It works quite well. Indeed, it builds a delicious level of suspense as the reader alternately looks forward to each subsequent thread continuing. The narrative Cook history is well researched and Horwitz's personal travel account quite illuminating. Pacific paradise, it seems, is somewhat sporadically bestowed upon the islands he visits. Blue Latitudes, to put it succinctly, is a fun book. Those looking for a strict, scholarly survey of Capt. James Cook should look elsewhere. However, if you like humorous travel writing which at the same time informs, Tony Horwitz has authored a gem. I consumed it in large chunks quite quickly. I'm fairly certain that many others will do the same.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but disappointing
Review: I must say that Blue Latitudes is the most clearly divided book I've ever read. On the one hand the material dealing with Cook and his various voyages was captivating. The material was well researched and full of original insights to both Cook the Captain and Cook the man. Horwitz's coverage was balanced and thorough. However, the material dealing with the authors travels was one of the most sophomoric displays of writing I've seen in a long time. Whether drinking and getting drunk with the Australians at a Cook reactment, or smoking pot with native teenagers, the whole coverage left me wanting. Where is the mature and detached observer? He certainly isn't present in the pages of this book.
If you're interested in Cook then this book is a worthwhile read. Unfortunately you'll have to put up with the other stuff as well. There are other well written sources dealing with Cook and his explorations. This one is generally disappointing.
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Summary: Perambulating with Percy
Review: Unlike most "travel" books, this isn't just something for in-flight or even beach reading. While Horwitz' prose is light and easy to take, there are deep messages in this book that require some pause for contemplation. The sub-title reflects his desired market - he, like Star Trek's Gene Roddenberry, wants us to move beyond merely the superficial. Horwitz takes us on a dual quest - who was James Cook and what resulted from his fantastic voyages? In answering those questions, Horwitz both delved into an imposing stack of references and followed [mostly] Cook's path around the world. From this solid foundation comes a serious attempt to convey the life and times of the British Empire's primary guide interspersed with reflections on the impact of global imperialism. Horwitz brings light into a shadowy history, keeping us interested and informed along his journey. James Cook remains relatively obscure, having been overshadowed by Nelson in British eyes and by Columbus in America. Recently, new appraisals of Cook have appeared although few can match this account. Horwitz uses a novel approach, keeping the book's chronology his own, beginning in the West Coast of North America, which was Cook's third voyage. This account doesn't even really end with Cook's death in Hawaii, but continues with Horwitz' quest to identify possible Cook relics in Sydney, Australia. Between that opening and the unfinished analysis of possible Cook body parts, Horwitz takes us to Pacific tropical islands, the frigid Aleutians, the Yorkshire moors and foggy London town. At each stop, Horwitz' journalist skills are employed to probes locals' reactions to the Cook legend. The reactions vary even more than the people themselves. Cook, it seems, attracts feelings from adoration to vilification. Years of travel as a journalist have given Horwitz superb powers of observation. He's able to convey his feelings without detracting from his campaign to impart Cook to our attention. Add to this an exceptional historical sense and we are given today's environment within a deeply structured framework. He even manages to gain an interview with the king of Tonga, a unique achievement. These talents seem to fail him in the choice of travel companions. Roger Williamson trails along with Horwitz, frequently carping about the conditions, travel arrangements, and lack of "crumpet" [women]. Roger's own travelling companion, "Percy," remains confined in his pants during the journey, achieving marked success at the end. Roger and "Percy" lighten many severe moments in the book, but don't distract from boredom - there's not a boring moment in the book. Except, perhaps, the tedium of Roger's whingeing. Horwitz examines Cook in depth. His analysis of what drove the navigator to three incredible voyages, why he was revered by his crews, indeed, what behaviour led to Cook's death in Hawaii, is the equal of any professional academician. Cook's humble beginnings were subdued by an intense ambition, expressed in feats none of his day or later could match. When, after the successful H.M.S. Endeavour voyage, Cook might have retired in glory. Instead, he took the first opportunity to again voyage into what Horwitz calls Cook's Pacific Kingdom. Horwitz reminds us that Cook travelled toward both Poles, extending humanity's view more than 140 degrees of latitude. Most travel books offer maps and Horwitz doesn't skimp here. The maps convey Cook's tracks instead of the author's, detailing the important parts of the Pacific voyages [the Newfoundland mapping years are ignored.] The best, however, is saved for last. Unlike most travel books, Blue Latitudes includes a fine essay on the published sources he researched. He is highly laudatory of New Zealander John Beaglehole, but offers material by Cook critics in a balanced set of essays. A good bibliography and index finishes this exceptional book. Among its many virtues is that its value will be sustained for a long time.
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Summary: Fun Intro to the Life and Travels of Captain James Cook
Review: Tony Horwitz' book is a terrific, light-hearted and educational introduction into the life and explorations of Captain James Cook. I first really became aware of Cook when I visited Hawaii for the first time. Later, a Kiwi acquaintance told me a bit more about him, and then while reading W.H. Brands' Franklin biography, I learned that Cook had navigated the St. Lawrence Seaway for the British just prior to the Battle on the Plains of Abraham. I became fascinated with Cook, who seemed to have been everywhere and yet was so little known. Blue Latitudes is a "where are they now" retracing of Cook's landfalls. More interesting is Horwitz and his sidekick Roger Williamson's, search for physical evidence of Cook's life. It's pretty slim pickings. A man like Cook who spends his life on the sea doesn't leave many traces on land. Cook was almost as elusive as the historical Jesus: someone who had a great impact on the world but didn't leave too many footprints. Horwitz could have found no better traveling mate than Williamson. First, Roger brings a lot of boozy humour to the book (maybe too much!). Second, he like Cook is a native son of Yorkshire who also made it to Australia. Third, Cook's crewman of the same surname played a role in Cook's untimely death. The book could have used more maps. Nice glossy color pictures would have been nice too. Overall, though, it's a fun first foray into the life and travels of Captain James Cook.
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Summary: Another Winner
Review: I had only moderate interest in the Civil War until I read "Confederates...", and no interest in Cook until I picked up "Blue Latitudes". This author's wry, sardonic approach to history and its relevance to our lives, so far has paid dividends with "can't put down" non-fiction. I just ordered "Bagdad Without A Map".
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Summary: Fun and informative
Review: This book is a truly an easy, fun read. Not a biography of Captain Cook, it is a compelling hybrid of two genres: travelogue and history. It's informative and interesting, while managing to maintain a light touch and breezy style. Not unline Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" in its mix of humor and serious observation. One other similarity is the presence of the quirky friend. The quirky, hard-drinking, church-avoiding Roger provides comic relief and genuine insights which occasionally escape Horwitz. My main complaint with the book was that I wish Horwitz was a photographer as well as journalist; I wanted to see the places that he visited.
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Summary: Tony does it again!
Review: Confederates in the Attic is simply one of the best book in recent memory. It was by chance that I read that masterpiece of race relations and the legacy of the civil war by Tony Horwitz and I am thankful that I did. In Confederate in the Attic Horwitz educates the reader on race relations in this country while on the outside simply telling the story of civil war actors and talking of his roadtrips down south. After reading Confederates, I have been waiting for Tony's next book and we have been rewarded with the awesome Blue Latitudes. Like Confederates in the Attic, you read Blue Latitudes at first as his goofy trip on a replica of the Endevor or the funny stories about his drunk friend from Australia. But like all of Tony's books, it is deeper than you think. Between the lines is the story of cultural encounter and its lasting effects. You enjoy reading Horwitz's works and laugh out loud at times, but when you think about it he is raising big questions and important subjects. I highly recommend not only reading this book, but trying to see Tony on his book tour. He brings a great slide show of his trip. If you have not read Tony read this book, Confederates in the Attic, and Bagdad without a Map. All are classics. this was a great book
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