Tupaia: Captain Cook's Polynesian Navigator tells the previously untold story of the Tahitian high priest, Tupaia, who accompanied Captain James Cook ... More fundamentally, the narrative tells the story of cultural contact, with its attendant suspicions and fears ...
He functioned as Cook's pilot, helping to navigate the ship to his home island of Raiatea and other islands that had not yet been found by European explorers. When the Endeavour drew near to New Zealand, Tupaia helped him chart the coastline and, more importantly, served as a diplomat with the warlike Maori ...
Tupaia met with universal admiration from reviewers and critics.
John Dunmore, writing for the New Zealand Listener, mentioned the book's "meticulous research" and called the book "comprehensive, highly readable and attractively produced."
A reviewer for the Bookie Monster Web site called the book an "enthralling history" as well as an "entertaining and illuminating read."
Rick Spilman, writing on The Old Salt Blog, characterized the book as a "fascinating tale, well told."
In a review in Booklist, Gilbert Taylor concluded that the book is an "astute portrait" that "vitally contributes to annals of exploration and cultural contact," while Elizabeth Salt, reviewing the book for Library Journal, concluded that Tupaia "beautifully captures the essence of Tupaia's world and brings it alive for readers."
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Selection from the updated entry on Joan Druett reproduced by permission.
1 comment:
This is good news, indeed!
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