Voyages of Delusion by Glyn Williams
Voyages of Delusion in the Age of Reason: Williams’s book charts the 18th-century’s perilous and often fatal attempts to discover a passage through the Arctic to the Pacific. An astounding work of the history of arctic exploration. Glyn Williams’s Prize of All the Oceans was reviewed by Patrick O’Brian: ‘A remarkably erudite and deeply informed book’. And by Andrew Roberts as ‘Staggeringly good… the best book I’ve read in ages.’ The Quest for the North-West Passage should be as big a best-seller as Fergus Fleming’s Barrow’s Boys—which was about the quest for the north-west passage in the 19th century. Williams’s book is set in the heat of 18th century exploration fever and charts the many perilous expeditions undertaken to find the ‘maritime philosopher’s stone’ from amongst the ice and eskimos of Hudson Bay. Fuelled by the promise of fame and riches from revitalised British trade and dominance of the North American continent, the search for this illusory passage even captivated Cook—the most pragmatic of explorers. Williams examines successive expeditions from James Knight to George Vancouver. The secretive Hudson’s Bay Company plays a supporting role throughout, as does Sir Arthur Dobbs whose political ambition—and obsessive pursuit of the illusory passage—relied heavily on exploitative cunning, personal greed and putting other’s lives at risk. The book is based on extensive archival research and archaeological excavations which fuel the content of the book, rich in political and personal intrigue. Written with the narrative brilliance and the mastery of form which characterises The Prize of all the Oceans, this book promises to be both a work of historical excellence and a compelling story of daring adventure, survival and endurance at sea.‘Remarkable… never was there a tale which joined such horror and pity, disaster and triumph, such fortitude in adversityGlyn Williams’ narrative brings out all the drama of the story.’ NAM Rodger, TLS
Glyn Williams has been Professor of History at Queen Mary and Westfield College since 1974. His main teaching interests are the history of exploration, the history of Europe overseas, and British imperial history. He has travelled and lectured in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies. He is Emeritus Professor of the University of London. He lives in Kent.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780006532132 |
| ISBN 10 | 0006532136 |
| Title | Voyages of Delusion |
| Author | Glyn Williams |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding type | Paperback |
| Publisher | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Year published | 2003-03-03 |
| Number of pages | 320 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |