Review: Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick
Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842
by Nathaniel Philbrick
The United States Exploring Expedition (called the US. Ex. Ex. for short) is largely forgotten today, but it was one of the largest American voyages of discovery of the 19th century. Led by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, the ships carried members of the Navy and a group of scientists around the world, collecting data and samples as they traveled from Antarctica to the Fiji Islands, to the Pacific Northwest and the islands of Hawaii. As the crew took measurements and collected samples, they charted the shores of Antarctica for the first time, solved the mystery of the formation of coral atolls, climbed the volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, and charted the area surrounding the Columbia River to help the United States solve an ongoing border dispute. But productive as the expedition was, it was plagued with disharmony amongst the crew. After promoting himself to Captain and micromanaging much of the expedition’s enterprises, Charles Wilkes became so hated by his crew that he faced multiple court martials upon his return to the United States.
Nathaniel Philbrick really focuses on Charles Wilkes, the leader of the expedition. The picture he paints is of a man desperate for glory, a hard-working scientist longing to make his name by heading a grand voyage of discovery. But Wilkes is also arrogant, refusing to hire any crew members who outrank him. Once the ship sets sail he becomes autocratic and cruel to his men, a poor leader whose decisions often hinder the crew’s performance. If an officer disagreed with him, he was stripped of his rank and replaced with someone more inclined to agree with Wilkes. By the end of the voyage, Wilkes’ closest allies had turned against him. It was truly unfortunate, because the drama and endless bickering between the expedition’s members drew attention away from the voyage’s discoveries, effectively erasing their accomplishments from memory.
I wish that Philbrick had spent more time talking about the scientific aspects of the expedition instead of the political maneuvering by Wilkes. The things that the voyage did accomplish are truly impressive: the samples collected became the foundation for the Smithsonian Institution’s collection, and some of the maps created by Wilkes continued in use through to WWII. That’s really cool, and shows that when they weren’t fighting these guys knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, the focus on Wilkes’ drama really bogs the story down, and takes a fascinating adventure and transforms it into a biography of a frankly unpleasant narcissist.
3 out of 5 stars
To read more about Sea of Glory, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
2013: The Cavalier Mr. Thompson by Rich Tommaso
2012: Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2012: The White Snake
2011: Off to Ashland for a few days!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: Vacation in Yosemite
by Nathaniel Philbrick
The United States Exploring Expedition (called the US. Ex. Ex. for short) is largely forgotten today, but it was one of the largest American voyages of discovery of the 19th century. Led by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, the ships carried members of the Navy and a group of scientists around the world, collecting data and samples as they traveled from Antarctica to the Fiji Islands, to the Pacific Northwest and the islands of Hawaii. As the crew took measurements and collected samples, they charted the shores of Antarctica for the first time, solved the mystery of the formation of coral atolls, climbed the volcanoes Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, and charted the area surrounding the Columbia River to help the United States solve an ongoing border dispute. But productive as the expedition was, it was plagued with disharmony amongst the crew. After promoting himself to Captain and micromanaging much of the expedition’s enterprises, Charles Wilkes became so hated by his crew that he faced multiple court martials upon his return to the United States.
Nathaniel Philbrick really focuses on Charles Wilkes, the leader of the expedition. The picture he paints is of a man desperate for glory, a hard-working scientist longing to make his name by heading a grand voyage of discovery. But Wilkes is also arrogant, refusing to hire any crew members who outrank him. Once the ship sets sail he becomes autocratic and cruel to his men, a poor leader whose decisions often hinder the crew’s performance. If an officer disagreed with him, he was stripped of his rank and replaced with someone more inclined to agree with Wilkes. By the end of the voyage, Wilkes’ closest allies had turned against him. It was truly unfortunate, because the drama and endless bickering between the expedition’s members drew attention away from the voyage’s discoveries, effectively erasing their accomplishments from memory.
I wish that Philbrick had spent more time talking about the scientific aspects of the expedition instead of the political maneuvering by Wilkes. The things that the voyage did accomplish are truly impressive: the samples collected became the foundation for the Smithsonian Institution’s collection, and some of the maps created by Wilkes continued in use through to WWII. That’s really cool, and shows that when they weren’t fighting these guys knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, the focus on Wilkes’ drama really bogs the story down, and takes a fascinating adventure and transforms it into a biography of a frankly unpleasant narcissist.
3 out of 5 stars
To read more about Sea of Glory, buy it or add it to your wishlist click here.
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
2013: The Cavalier Mr. Thompson by Rich Tommaso
2012: Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2012: The White Snake
2011: Off to Ashland for a few days!
2010: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
2009: Vacation in Yosemite