The Cannibal Islands: Captain Cook's Adventure in the South Seas

Robert Michael BallantyneProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.1

Word count: 145K words
Chapters: 15

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Cannibal Islands: Captain Cook's Adventure in the South Seas by BallantyneAuthor: Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael), 1825-1894,Language: English, Class: G: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation, Release Date: Oct 31, 2007

Editor's review

This is a geographical adventure book by R. M. Ballantyne based on Captain Cook's voyages in the South Pacific, classified under geography and anthropology. The author was known for narrating tales of distant voyages to young readers; this book blends the course of the voyages, island scenery, and the observations Europeans of the time made of South Pacific peoples into a lively narrative marked by a distinctly nineteenth-century colonial perspective. Its value lies both in popularizing the history of geographical discovery and in serving as a text for reflection: its descriptions of so-called "cannibal islands" are mixed with period prejudice and sensationalism, which today's readers can use to discuss the imagining of the Other in voyage writing. It is best read by combining the adventure story with a critical perspective, enjoying the tension of the voyage while noting the stance behind the narrative. Suitable as supplementary reading on the history of geographical discovery and colonial writing.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in maritime history, the Age of Discovery, and Captain Cook
General readers who enjoy readable adventure narratives aimed at young people
Teachers and students who need a sample of colonial-era writing for critical reading
Readers who want to learn how nineteenth-century Europeans described the South Pacific

Not a good fit for

Academic readers seeking rigorous modern historical scholarship and annotation
Readers sensitive to colonial prejudice and sensationalized description who do not wish to analyze it
Readers who prefer contemporary novelistic characterization and psychological depth

Reading tips

First learn the basic timeline of Cook's three Pacific voyages, then enter the narrative.
Mark judgmental words and phrases while reading, and discuss period prejudice together afterward.
Read alongside a modern map of the South Pacific to build a sense of space.
Can be used as shared reading material for young people, with adults guiding discussion of cultural difference and narrative stance.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Are the book's descriptions of "cannibal islands" credible?

They should be treated with caution. Such descriptions come from the observations and records of nineteenth-century European voyagers and popular writers, mixed with rumor, exaggeration, and colonial-era prejudice. They can be used as material for studying how Europeans of the time imagined the South Pacific, but should not be cited directly as reliable anthropological fact.

How does this book differ from Captain Cook's journals?

Cook's journals are first-hand voyage records, focused on observations, routes, and affairs; this book is a later writer's retelling for a general audience, emphasizing narrative and readability and adding the author's understanding and period imagination. The two are different in nature and can be read in comparison to see the differences.

Is it suitable for children?

It can serve as an adventure book for young readers, but parent-child shared reading or teacher guidance is recommended. The book's descriptions of island inhabitants carry sensational and disparaging overtones, and children reading alone may form one-sided impressions; adults need to help them analyze the historical context and narrative stance.

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About the author

Robert Michael Ballantyne Author · United Kingdom · 1825–1894

Robert Michael Ballantyne (1825–1894) was a Scottish writer of children's literature, born in Edinburgh. At sixteen he went to Canada and worked for the Hudson's Bay Company for six years, an experience that later supplied material for his adventure stories; after returning to Scotland in 1847 he devoted himself to writing and produced more than a hundred adventure novels, of which ninety-seven are held in this collection. His representative works include The Coral Island, The Dog Crusoe and his Master, Black Ivory, The Lighthouse and Martin Rattler, mostly drawing on seafaring, desert-island and frontier adventure, with tight plots and solid detail that combine instruction with appeal for young readers. He was also skilled in watercolour painting. Public information on his early education and private life is limited.