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Voyages of Delusion: The Quest for the Northwest Passage
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About Voyages Of Delusion: The Quest For The Northwest
Product Description The eighteenth century―the Age of Reason―was characterized by determined attempts by philosophers, scientists, and political theorists to dispel myth, superstition, and ignorance. But the Age of Reason also witnessed some of the most irrational and vainglorious attempts by sailors and speculators to find a navigable Northwest Passage that would lead through the icy seas of the Arctic from Hudson Bay to the wealth of the Pacific Ocean. Lured by the promise of fame and riches, men endured paralyzing cold, malnutrition, and terrifying storms. Many lives and fortunes were lost in the quest for the elusive "maritime philosopher’s stone." In this gripping work of narrative history, Glyn Williams describes the adventures and mishaps of these misguided expeditions. Vividly written and replete with fascinating characters, Voyages of Delusion is a riveting contribution to the history of North American exploration. From Publishers Weekly Although the 18th century was the "age of reason," wishful thinking may better characterize the spirit of the era's adventurers' pursuit of the chimerical Northwest Passage (a sea route from North America's northeast coast through to the Pacific, which had already been a goal of explorers for 200 years). The advantages of such a route-cheaper access to the China trade, the opening of exploration in western North America and national glory-were so enticing, entrepreneurs convinced themselves they could hardly lose by sending out a mission. As University of London history professor Williams painstakingly documents, politicians and financiers eagerly talked themselves into pseudoscientific "proofs" that such a passage must exist, based on the direction of tides, the sighting of whales in inland waters and other factors. More "evidence" could be mustered from hoax voyage journals and conjectural mappings by cartographers willing to treat geography as a speculative art. Williams juxtaposes these wealth and fame seekers with the poor captains and crews of these ill-fated expeditions. Stranded in ice-bound refuges for long winters, they lost body parts from frostbite, died from scurvy or accidents-or if they made it back to Europe, often found themselves the objects of derision (or worse, court-martial) for not having found the passage their sponsors were sure existed. Readers know in advance the passage wasn't discovered then, but the addition of money-hungry patrons to the equation makes it more excruciating than a saga like Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. Williams may be too scholarly for general readers, but students of maritime exploration and 18th-century British politics will find this work engrossing, especially the detailed notes on sources. Illus. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist It was believed in the eighteenth century--since known as the Age of Reason--that a navigable Northwest passage might exist. Williams points out in his introduction that the quest for a sea route through or around America had already begun in the sixteenth century, "when the successors of Columbus slowly realized the massive, continental dimensions of the new lands across the Atlantic." Williams, an emeritus professor of history at the University of London and author of eight previous books, chronicles the ill-advised expeditions of Christopher Middleton in 1741, of William Moor and Francis Smith in 1746, the five voyages of James Walker (which began in 1750), Russian voyages to Alaska from 1728 to 1741, and others. Williams witnesses the self-glorifying and failed attempts by men enticed by the promise of fame and fortune as they suffered from sickness, malnutrition, storms, and the deadly cold. Mountainous icebergs, violent tides, fog, and snow were hazards to be endured. But readers, of course, can comfortably sail off into reverie without facing any of these perils. George Cohen Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review "[An] ex
