Summary of Nathaniel Philbrick's Sea of Glory

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 The South Sea, or the Pacific Ocean, was named after Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who first crossed it in 1513. It was James Cook who first crossed the Pacific, discovering islands at almost every turn. #2 The city’s wealthiest merchant, John Jacob Astor, had made his fortune with these ships. American China traders, many of them from Boston and Salem, set out around Cape Horn in search of otter skins. They anchored somewhere in the vicinity of Vancouver Island’s Clayoquot Sound. #3 The War of 1812 was a extremely exciting time for Charles Wilkes. It was difficult to appreciate the level of patriotism felt by those of Wilkes’s generation, many of whom were fathers or grandfathers who had fought in the Revolution. #4 Wilkes was a young man who was receiving little help from his father, who wanted him to become a businessman like himself. Wilkes was enrolled as a day student at a preparatory school for Columbia College, and he was showing remarkable promise in mathematics and languages. But he was always fascinated by the sea, and he wanted to become a captain.