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Jeanette's Reviews > Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842
Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842
by
by
Nathaniel Philbrick writes intrinsic insightful, depth of minutia factual, and psychologically framed to perfection non-fiction. It's incredible. And for the time frames, numbers of key characters, epic in scope missions and goals! Well, for the seas of the Earth especially those tales- he's a 6 on a 5 star scale.
Never believing he could surpass his record of the Essex- this Sea of Glory which finely details the 1838-1842 explorations of the U.S. Ex. Ex. equals or does just that.
This book was dense and the beginning was super slow- I almost didn't stick with a slow read. But I did. And was it worth the time and attention! Not only in the new material of historical value this has taught me, but also into a window of "eyes" for the Navy and U.S. government of that era. No need to revise the onus or the blame or the perceptions of any of 100's of characters within the voyages, nor to comment upon their morals, choices, emotions, outcomes for fallout- just the "eyes" of being on the Peacock, the Vincennes, the Flying Fish, the Porpoise, the Sea Gull or the Relief. And what they said, saw, physically experienced- decided or had decided for them.
And the graphics were superb. Original drawings, surveying papers, on board sketches and records of log. All superb.
The mass of information that this book taught me I never knew! Like the fact that boys spent at least 2 years aboard ships before becoming eligible to entry the Naval Academy then. That the hierarchy of command levels and assignments was as associated to elite contacts and arbitrary criteria for other pursuits (outside of how to work a floating vessel) as it was. Knowing how many men and women did "home science" especially in the fields of natural world history, I did know. But how they connected and contacted to be "in field" as on such an exploration voyage? Not at all.
And the levels of danger. Several times Wilkes' evaluations decree the reality that at least 2 of the ships that start will not finish.
But most of all this book illuminates the style and twisted in communications personality of brash Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. Or is he Captain Charles Wilkes?
It's not a read for the fainthearted. Especially in the portions of study for Fiji Island group- but overall even more so in the pattern of Wilkes to "negate" all competition, and sometimes anyone with more obvious competence. There are people like that, the "non-team" player- but rarely with such vitriolic cycles and in such determining positions. They are people who do not inspire trust.
This is worth the read for the Pacific Island sections alone. Although the polar explorations and other island stops were enthralling to gutsy luck and dire finality- as well.
This is not a read to be handled quickly. It's as deep as the deepest ocean trench, and as high as the most monstrous ice berg that dwarfs both mountain and ship.
Never believing he could surpass his record of the Essex- this Sea of Glory which finely details the 1838-1842 explorations of the U.S. Ex. Ex. equals or does just that.
This book was dense and the beginning was super slow- I almost didn't stick with a slow read. But I did. And was it worth the time and attention! Not only in the new material of historical value this has taught me, but also into a window of "eyes" for the Navy and U.S. government of that era. No need to revise the onus or the blame or the perceptions of any of 100's of characters within the voyages, nor to comment upon their morals, choices, emotions, outcomes for fallout- just the "eyes" of being on the Peacock, the Vincennes, the Flying Fish, the Porpoise, the Sea Gull or the Relief. And what they said, saw, physically experienced- decided or had decided for them.
And the graphics were superb. Original drawings, surveying papers, on board sketches and records of log. All superb.
The mass of information that this book taught me I never knew! Like the fact that boys spent at least 2 years aboard ships before becoming eligible to entry the Naval Academy then. That the hierarchy of command levels and assignments was as associated to elite contacts and arbitrary criteria for other pursuits (outside of how to work a floating vessel) as it was. Knowing how many men and women did "home science" especially in the fields of natural world history, I did know. But how they connected and contacted to be "in field" as on such an exploration voyage? Not at all.
And the levels of danger. Several times Wilkes' evaluations decree the reality that at least 2 of the ships that start will not finish.
But most of all this book illuminates the style and twisted in communications personality of brash Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. Or is he Captain Charles Wilkes?
It's not a read for the fainthearted. Especially in the portions of study for Fiji Island group- but overall even more so in the pattern of Wilkes to "negate" all competition, and sometimes anyone with more obvious competence. There are people like that, the "non-team" player- but rarely with such vitriolic cycles and in such determining positions. They are people who do not inspire trust.
This is worth the read for the Pacific Island sections alone. Although the polar explorations and other island stops were enthralling to gutsy luck and dire finality- as well.
This is not a read to be handled quickly. It's as deep as the deepest ocean trench, and as high as the most monstrous ice berg that dwarfs both mountain and ship.
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