LISTEN: Peter FitzSimons on James Cook

Peter FitzSimons has made a name for himself as one of the finest tellers of Australian stories. He’s an author whose books cut through myth and legend to get to the person at the heart of the tale, from John Monash and his wartime triumph to the infamous Ned Kelly. This time, however, Peter is taking on a man whose complicated legacy reverberates still through our cultural consciousness: Captain James Cook.

A man who is praised for his navigational skill and exploratory vision as much as he is criticised by those who deplore his imperialism and cruelty to our Indigenous peoples, Cook has left a mark on our national story like few others.

But who was the man behind the myth?

In James Cook, Peter takes us back 240 years to find the man who landed in Botany Bay in 1770 and beyond, from his childhood as a farm boy in Yorkshire to his voyages on the Endeavour and his troubled relationship with our First Nations people.

Peter recently signed hundreds and hundreds of copies of his new book at a marathon signing session at Booktopia’s main office, before sitting down for an interview with Joel Naoum and Olivia Fricot. You can listen to our full podcast with Peter below (and don’t forget to grab a signed copy of James Cook before we sell out!).

James Cook

by Peter FitzSimons

The name Captain James Cook is one of the most recognisable in Australian history - an almost mythic figure who is often discussed, celebrated, reviled and debated. But who was the real James Cook?

This Yorkshire farm boy would go on to become the foremost mariner, navigator and cartographer of his era, and to personally map a third of the globe. His great voyages of discovery were incredible feats of seamanship and navigation. Leading a crew of men into uncharted territories, Cook would face the best and worst of humanity as he took himself and his crew to the edge of the...

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