David's Reviews > Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842

This book was a pleasant surprise. I had never heard of the US Exploring Expedition - a voyage that went from the Antarctic to Pacific tropical islands to the summit of a Hawaiian mountain to the mouth of the Columbia river - and I will bet many other readers have not, either.

In addition to the wide variety of locations visited by the Ex.Ex. (as it was called), there was a fascinating clash of personalities between the harsh, obsessive Charles Wilkes (commander of the expedition) and the majority of his crew and officers. I recommend this book if you want to become immersed in a bygone era of exploration and discovery.