Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before

Tony Horowitz is the author of Confederates in the Attic, a widely praised book about Civil War re-creationists. I have zero interest in the Civil War, but his following book, Blue Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before, piqued my interest, because I love reading about the South Pacific.

To write his book, Horowitz traveled to the same places Captain Cook explored in the 18th century: Tahiti, New Zealand, Alaska, South America, Russia. etc. Horowitz weaves together Cook's life story (born poor, which was very rare for a captain) with his own adventures visiting the places Cook explored. The writing style is human and colorful, the seemingly mundane details he chooses to relate add warmth to an already fascinating tale.

Amazon is selling the hardcover edition for the bargain price of $6. Link