Examines the rich history of exploration in the South Pacific. Taking the last voyages of Captain Cook as their point of departure, the authors follow the fortunes of British, French, and Spanish navigators as they promoted European colonial interests from Australia to the Philippines and Samoa to Alaska. The personal stories of explorers, such as the young naturalist Sir Joseph Banks, are juxtaposed with the international conflicts among emerging colonial powers. The stories of French navigator Laprouse, the Spaniard Malaspina, and cartographer Matthew Flinders, who circumnavigated Australia, all appear on these pages. From encounters with indigenous peoples to the challenges of wind and weather, Pioneers of the Pacific conveys a sense of the anticipation and excitement experienced by the first Europeans in this pivotal region of the world.