Joseph Banks: A LifeOne of our greatest writers about the sea has written an engrossing story of one of history's most legendary maritime explorers. Patrick O'Brian's biography of naturalist, explorer and co-founder of Australia, Joseph Banks, is narrative history at its finest. Published to rave reviews, it reveals Banks to be a man of enduring importance, and establishes itself as a classic of exploration. "It is in his description of that arduous three-year voyage [on the ship Endeavor] that Mr. O'Brian is at his most brilliant. . . . He makes us understand what life within this wooden world was like, with its 94 male souls, two dogs, a cat and a goat."—Linda Colley, New York Times "An absorbing, finely written overview, meant for the general reader, of a major figure in the history of natural science."—Frank Stewart, Los Angeles Times "[This book is] the definitive biography of an extraordinary subject."—Robert Taylor, Boston Globe "His skill at narrative and his extensive knowledge of the maritime history . . . give him a definite leg up in telling this . . . story."—Tom Clark, San Francisco Chronicle |
Contents
Preface | 9 |
Origins Education Botany | 13 |
Newfoundland and Labrador | 39 |
The Royal Society Solander the Endeavour Voyage | 59 |
TAHITI AND THE TRANSIT OF VENUS | 90 |
NEW ZEALAND BOTANY BAY THE GREAT BARRIER REEF | 104 |
Home Again Resolution Iceland | 142 |
The Great Florilegium Omai Soho Square | 168 |
HMS Sheep Plant Collectors Bligh and Bounty Revolution in France | 219 |
War New South Walesthe Privy Council | 243 |
Trouble in Sydney and Iceland Declining Healththe End | 270 |
His Will and some Letters | 305 |
Notes | 314 |
| 318 | |
| 322 | |
President of the Royal Society Marriage the King and Kew Botany Bay | 193 |
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Common terms and phrases
Admiralty anchor appeared ashore Banks and Solander Banks wrote Banks's birds Blagden Bligh Board of Longitude boat botanist botany Botany Bay boys brought Broussonet called canoes Cape Captain carried coast collections command Cook Cook's course Dr Solander Endeavour England English expedition Fellows fish French garden gave gout hand harbour hope Iceland Indians island journal kind King King's Lady land later least letter lieutenant Lincolnshire Linnaeus London Lord Lord Sandwich merinos midshipman miles morn Navy never Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador night observed officers Omai particularly Phipps plants present President reef remarkably Revesby Royal Navy Royal Society sailed Sandwich scarcely seemd seen sent sheep ship Sir Edward Knatchbull Sir Joseph Banks Soho Square Solander soon South Wales species Tahiti thing thought told took Tupia voyage weather whole wind wool young