Mountains of the Sea by Gunter Swoboda
Having accidentally shot an army recruiter, Walter Beaumont, a young, troubled aristocrat, is forced to flee England and, through his mother's connections, finds himself onboard the HMS Resolution, Captain James Cook's ship of exploration to the South Seas. His only desire is to survive the imposed ordeal and to return home to England.Forced to confront his addiction to opium and the primitive conditions of seafaring in the seventeen hundreds, he is physically and mentally challenged on a daily basis, especially by the Resolution's third officer Williamson, a cruel and vindictive man, who takes pleasure in the pain of others.Walter's plight is eased by his relationship with Omai, a Tahitian navigator on board the Resolution. Drawn together the young islander takes Walter under his wing on the long journey to the South Seas. Through him, Walter hears tales and myths of the Polynesians that leave him with an appreciation of their culture including their passion for the ocean and surfing.Arriving in Tahiti Omai is disappointed by how he is treated on his return home and now looks to find a way north to Hawaii, a group of islands yet unknown to the English, where he wants to begin a new life and exercise his skill in riding the giant waves of O'ahu.Omai petitions Cook to allow him to stay on board the Resolution in exchange for the location of the Hawaii, where the ships can be restocked with fresh food and water for the perilous journey north.A fish out of water, Walter Beaumont constantly struggles with the Spartan conditions, eventually falling ill with consumption. Captain Cook, knowing that Walter will never survive the rigors of the Northern Pacific and the Bearing Straights, is forced to leave the young man behind in the newly discovered Hawaiian Islands.Left on the island of Kauai with Omai, Walter quickly recovers his health, although his hopes of returning to England are shattered by the news that Captain Cook has been killed and the Resolution has returned to England without him.| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781947782099 |
| ISBN 10 | 1947782096 |
| Title | Mountains of the Sea |
| Author | Gunter Swoboda |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Winterwolf Press |
| Year published | 2021-06-01 |
| Number of pages | 394 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |