Overview

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.

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9780006532132

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Reviews

'Remarkable! never was there a tale which joined such horror and pity, disaster and triumph, such fortitude in adversity. Glyn Williams' narrative brings out all the drama of the story.' NAM Rodger, TLS 'Compelling and vividly evoked!A classic study in leadership, loyalty, betrayal, courage, brutality, resolution and error. A concise, well-written, measured yet gripping account .' Alan Judd, Spectator 'A dramatic tale of hardship, disaster, mutiny, starvation and tenacity. A masterly, scholarly approach that lovers of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian will relish.' Philip Kerr, Sunday Telegraph

'Remarkable... never was there a tale which joined such horror and pity, disaster and triumph, such fortitude in adversity. Glyn Williams' narrative brings out all the drama of the story.' NAM Rodger, TLS

After the renowned expedition of Christopher Columbus to the Americas in 1492, European navigators and explorers began in earnest to seek shorter sea routes across the Atlantic to the Orient to avoid the lengthy voyage round the horn of Africa. The mass of land now known as the North American continent proved to be something of a stumbling block for explorers such as Baffin, Frobisher and Hudson as they sailed bravely up and down the east coast in search of a passage to the Pacific Ocean. Momentum to find a route gathered in the late 17th and the 18th centuries, and Glyn Williams concentrates on expeditions made during this period - the delusions being the ease with which explorers ignorant of the sheer size of the continent and the extreme freezing conditions anticipated the finding of a passage, as shown by reproductions of maps of the time. Glyn has researched the subject very thoroughly through original journals and other documents and written an excellent book with a wealth of information about the explorers, their captains and subordinates, as well as the onshore machinations involved in gaining the support of politicians and Admiralty officials in order to finance the voyages. Glyn colourfully describes not only the aspirations and bravery of these navigators, but the dreadful hardships faced, such as violent storms, freezing cold, shortage of food, hostile natives, disease and madness. (Kirkus UK)

'Remarkable! never was there a tale which joined such horror and pity, disaster and triumph, such fortitude in adversity. Glyn Williams' narrative brings out all the drama of the story.' NAM Rodger, TLS 'Compelling and vividly evoked!A classic study in leadership, loyalty, betrayal, courage, brutality, resolution and error. A concise, well-written, measured yet gripping account .' Alan Judd, Spectator 'A dramatic tale of hardship, disaster, mutiny, starvation and tenacity. A masterly, scholarly approach that lovers of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian will relish.' Philip Kerr, Sunday Telegraph

Author Information

Glyn Williams has been professor of History at Queen Mary and Westfield since 1974 and has specialised in the history of exploration and of Europe overseas. He has travelled and lectured in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies. He has published many books including The British Search for the Northwest Passage in the Eighteenth Century, The Expansion of Europe in the Eighteenth Century, The Great Map of Mankind, Terra Australis to Australia, Ruling Britannia, The Voyages of Captain Cook, The Great South Sea: English Voyages and Encounters 1570-1750. He lives in Kent and was appointed Emeritus Professor of the University of London in September 1997.

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