Product Description

Voyages of Delusion in the Age of Reason: Williams's book charts the 18th-century's perilous and often fatal attempts to discover a passage through the Arctic to the Pacific. An astounding work of the history of arctic exploration. Glyn Williams's Prize of All the Oceans was reviewed by Patrick O'Brian: 'A remarkably erudite and deeply informed book'. And by Andrew Roberts as 'Staggeringly good! the best book I've read in ages.' The Quest for the North-West Passage should be as big a best-seller as Fergus Fleming's Barrow's Boys--which was about the quest for the north-west passage in the 19th century. Williams's book is set in the heat of 18th century exploration fever and charts the many perilous expeditions undertaken to find the 'maritime philosopher's stone' from amongst the ice and eskimos of Hudson Bay. Fuelled by the promise of fame and riches from revitalised British trade and dominance of the North American continent, the search for this illusory passage even captivated Cook--the most pragmatic of explorers. Williams examines successive expeditions from James Knight to George Vancouver. The secretive Hudson's Bay Company plays a supporting role throughout, as does Sir Arthur Dobbs whose political ambition--and obsessive pursuit of the illusory passage--relied heavily on exploitative cunning, personal greed and putting other's lives at risk. The book is based on extensive archival research and archaeological excavations which fuel the content of the book, rich in political and personal intrigue. Written with the narrative brilliance and the mastery of form which characterises The Prize of all the Oceans, this book promises to be both a work of historical excellence and a compelling story of daring adventure, survival and endurance at sea.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #49167 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
One begins to suspect that Glyn Williams has been afflicted with the same obsessive spirit that is the hallmark of many of history's greatest explorers. He has already written seven books on voyages of discovery, and in this, his eighth, he is on more than familiar territory. Voyages of Delusion tells the story of the search for the Northwest Passage in the 18th century. In Europe this was the period of the Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, when superstition and ignorance were supposed to give way to a more rational and scientific approach. Yet, in an irony that Williams exploits to the full, it was the former that characterised the search for the Northwest Passage--the mythical trade route across the top of the North American continent. When it comes to political, personal and financial glory people tend to believe what they want to believe.

Many of those who made their bid for glory did so on little more than a wing and a prayer: maps were sketchy, non-existent or just plain wrong and the boats completely inadequate for the job. All of which is the stuff of story-telling dreams, as expeditions either got hopelessly lost, hopelessly drunk or, in some cases, failed to return at all--and Williams duly delivers. Characters, such as Christopher Middleton, whose expedition only got as far as the Churchill River, and who has hitherto only been a historical footnote, come vividly to life. By the end of the 18th century, though, reason had finally begun to hold sway as the sombre reality slowly dawned that there was no glorious, easy northern route to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. But Voyages of Delusion allows these early explorers some of the immortality they had hoped to achieve for themselves; their failure is Williams's success. --John Crace

Review
'Remarkable! never was there a tale which joined such horror and pity, disaster and triumph, such fortitude in adversity. Glyn Williams' narrative brings out all the drama of the story.' NAM Rodger, TLS 'Compelling and vividly evoked!A classic study in leadership, loyalty, betrayal, courage, brutality, resolution and error. A concise, well-written, measured yet gripping account .' Alan Judd, Spectator 'A dramatic tale of hardship, disaster, mutiny, starvation and tenacity. A masterly, scholarly approach that lovers of CS Forester and Patrick O'Brian will relish.' Philip Kerr, Sunday Telegraph

About the Author
Glyn Williams has been Professor of History at Queen Mary and Westfield College since 1974. His main teaching interests are the history of exploration, the history of Europe overseas, and British imperial history. He has travelled and lectured in Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies. He is Emeritus Professor of the University of London. He lives in Kent.

Customer Reviews

True-life adventure in the Arctic wastes - facinating histor
Apparently, although the Northwest Passage – the mythical waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific through Alaska – never did exist, it just might emerge in years to come as global warming reduces the polar icecaps.
From Tudor times on, though, merchants and explorers searched desperately, at great risk to themselves, to find a quicker and less dangerous route to the Far East than round Cape Horn, completely unaware that the huge landmass of America stood between them and their goal. During the 18th century, as scientific inventions and rational thought began to make all things seem possible, fresh attempts were made. These were both helped and hindered by the secretive Hudson Bay Company, which jealously guarded its local knowledge (and limited imported food stores), reluctantly assisting the sailing ships that ventured into unknown and treacherous waters.
The book is divided into sections dealing with each of these expeditions and chapters explaining the deluded reasoning fuelling them. James Knight, a near to retirement age mariner who had worked for the Hudson Bay Company, perished along with the crews of two ships, but might have survived two Arctic winters on a small island first. Christopher Middleton commanded a naval ship crewed by pressed men inadequately clothed for Arctic cold, and after 11 months of agonising conditions managed just 6 weeks of exploration. William Moor and Francis Smith fell out so badly that Moor had to be guarded by four armed men. Captain Cook tried to get through from the Pacific side, failed, but did chart the previously unknown coast.
There simply was no way through. Armchair pundits like Arthur Dobbs, poring over inaccurate maps, insisted there was partly because they wanted it to be so, partly because of the trading opportunities that would have accrued. The chapters on the these old maps are fascinating – drawn more or less by guesswork, they were the passport to the ‘yellow mettel’ (gold) spoken of by native Americans, which lured the explorers on.
A very readable and interesting book illustrated by the maps and drawings of the period, brought right up to date with details of the 1992 diving expedition which located James Knight’s ships. There is no trace of the lost crew, only their hut and the pathetic beacon that they kept lit in the hope of rescue.

Pincer movement
Writing about the search for the Northwest Passage seems almost as obsessive as the quest itself. Williams' entry in the growing stack of these works has the advantage of tight focus. He limits his survey to the 18th Century - Enlightenment Europe. He illuminates a time when the Royal Navy hadn't yet gained control of the seas. The vivid accounts of 19th Century Empire building have obscured the hesitant beginnings of earlier eras. The 18th Century explorers were hesitant pioneers, largely unknown today. Williams conveys their voyages with the domestic political dramas as background. With accomplished style, this book traces the debates as it follows the early explorations into Hudson's Bay and the North Pacific.

Three figures take central stage in this narrative. The first is Arthur Dobbs who set the tone and topics in support of the search. Dobbs, an MP from Ireland, saw the promise of increased trade, finding mineral riches and nationalist expansion through finding the Passage. A major aspect was his goal to demolish the monopolistic grip of the Hudson's Bay Company on trade and exploration in the North American Arctic. In Williams' account, Dobbs maintained his campaign over many years, as an open advocate and anonymously. Dobbs was instrumental in helping turn over exploration from private hands and put it under the aegis of the Royal Navy. Dobbs was convinced [or convinced himself] that fur trading profits would be purely secondary to the potential mineral wealth to be found in the Arctic.

Over the years, Williams recounts, fluctuating relationships with other European powers prodded Dobbs into more purely nationalistic reasons for pursuing the Passage. With Spain well established in the New World, but hesitant in exploring unknown lands, France and Russia became new threats. As Dobbs faded from his active role, his themes were furthered by Alexander Dalrymple and Joseph Banks. Banks, who journeyed with Cook to the Australian coast, urged a strong British presence in the Pacific. As a result, an opening to the Passage from the west became the new quest at the end of the 18th Century. Williams surveys the Spanish and Russian incursions well, but skims over the enigmatic La Perouse, whose career was more South Pacific than North. All the North Pacific voyages, he demonstrates, were guided by the almost mythical accounts of de Fuca and de Fonte of nearly a century before.

Williams has little good to say about the persona crossing his view. Dobbs is portrayed as a manipulator of skilled abilities. Driven by his desire to crush the HBC's monopoly and expose its secrets, he even organizes and funds an exploration of this own. Other promoters are too easily deluded and captains are fractious or incompetent. Even the mighty Cook, far out in the Pacific, shouldn't have been there on his fatal last voyage - he'd become unwell and irascible, a danger to the success of the expedition. Only the Italian Malaspina and George Vancouver are lauded for accuracy and honesty. Not all of his judgments are well-considered. He gives Robert McClure credit for finally revealing the passage, when it was overlander John Rae who reached the Passage while seeking the Franklin crew.

Williams has given his account an extra bonus by inserting some fascinating illustrations. Not only are modern maps there for reference, but he's included replicas of 18th maps by various cartographers. Some of these are even based on maps drawn or described by Native American peoples. His sources are many and varied, providing a guide to others wishing to delve into the era. A good writing style makes this book a worthwhile purchase. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]