The European exploration of the Pacific Ocean in the eighteenth century is one of the great stories of human endeavour. In the space of one lifetime, sailing in small crowded ships in dangerous waters, travelling vast distances to unknown destinations, Europeans gathered more information about the world and its peoples than in any equivalent preceding period. The Voyage of the Endeavour begins with this story in all its intricacy and fascination. It ends with Captain James Cook, his achievements and motivations. It shows why this man can be regarded as the greatest explorer of all time, and one of the makers of the modern imagination. 'In The Voyage of the Endeavour you will learn what it meant to sail with Cook to seek the mysterious Great South Land.'