Customer Reviews

Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842

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You have heard of Lewis and Clark, but you probably never heard of the US South Seas Exploring Expedition of 1838. If its leader, US Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, had had his way, the Ex. Ex., as it was known, would still have been sung internationally for the inarguably tremendous contributions it made to geography, biology, and simple adventure. In addition, it started the still-lasting partnership between the US government and the sciences that, say, does the exploring upon Mars. Wilkes, to a large extent, made the expedition successful, and also defeated himself by preventing it from being universally celebrated. _Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, The U. S. Exploring Expedition 1838 - 1842_ (Viking) by Nathaniel Philbrick tells an amazing adventure yarn of real explorers, and real human flaws that by turns endangered and enabled the exploration efforts.

There were unprecedented logistical tasks in assembling the expedition, which at its start consisted of six ships and 346 men (including nine scientists). Senior officers had trouble putting the expedition together, and the Navy gave the task to the forty-year-old Lieutenant Wilkes. Philbrick writes, "Wilkes was a great man. But he was also vain, impulsive, and often cruel." He took offense easily, and would not be placated by offenders. He remained aloof from his officers. When things went wrong, he was quick to assume that his men had been incompetent or malevolent. Philbrick concludes that a more self-confident and capable leader probably would not have brought the expedition greater success, although it could have brought greater on-board contentment and post-expedition fame. With his enormous flaws, Wilkes was resilient and resourceful, and the list of accomplishments chalked up by the expedition is long. For instance, they brought back forty tons of biological and anthropological specimens, many of which became the foundation for the collections displayed at the Smithsonian Institution. But upon his return, Wilkes was court-martialed for his many real abuses, and some that were not real, such as a charge that he falsified surveying sightings. While he got off lightly, and became recognized as a naval hero in the Civil War, and even an Admiral, he is not the recognized hero that, say, Scott or Shackleton is.

His flaws brought on his obscurity, which Philbrick's engaging volume will at least partially correct. There are literary theorists who say that Wilkes was the model for Ahab, and Melville did indeed know of the expedition and its outcome. A closer literary fit, because of his distrust of his subordinates, would be Captain Queeg of _The Caine Mutiny_. Philbrick, in _In the Heart of the Sea_, previously made exciting the tale of the doomed whaleship _Essex_, and there is plenty of nautical excitement in his story of this expedition as well. There is less of a tale of men against nature here, though, and more of the conflict of commander against officers, and of a man against himself.

This author writes very well and captivates you from the first pages. The history of this voyage is fascinating and was unknown to me. That, combined with the well drawn characters make for a very interesting and enjoyable read. This author manages to write a historical story that keeps you interested without having to "invent" dialogue or enhance the characters to make them more interesting.

I read this author's In the Heart of the Sea (Excellent!), and became interested in the seafaring genre and can also recommend Batavia's Graveyard (riveting) and the Pirate Hunter.

This book was a very enjoyable read to me, and would likely be so for anyone interested in the age of exploration, nautical adventure, or travels to exotic lands. It tells the complete story of a four year long expedition launched by the U.S. Navy to basically complete the map of the Pacific, primarily told from the point of view of the young officers, most experiencing their first major responsibility and command.

The book is comprehensive and chronological, starting with the intial concepts of the exploratory expedition which were cooked up by some very whacky people, including one who thought that at the south pole there would be a giant cave entrance to the middle of the earth! The tale then progresses in a manner that mirrors the nation's rise in scientific, technological, and military prowess. The exploratory expedition was itself intended to announce to the world that the U.S. could master the domain of the European powers of the day, specifically the naval power, expansionism, and spirit of discovery enshrined in the voyages of exploration to the last ends of the Earth. The voyage itself spurred the nation to develop the scientific and naval capabilities that helped to solidify the national character.

The voyage was headed by a strong willed, intelligent, but ultimately paranoid and cruel martinet. The contrast between his fortitude to keep the expedition moving forward and his capricious capacity for punishment, as told by the junior officers who had to walk the line between following orders and preventing desertion and mutiny among the ranks, was very interesting and well expressed by the author. This was the backdrop for a years long voyage that was at times both gruelling and exhilirating.

The voyage left the Eastern coast of the United States, followed the coast down South America, and spent a huge amount of time in the Pacific, making the first land sighting of Antarctica (beating rival British and French expeditions by mere hours), surveying endless strings of islands particularly around Fiji and Samoa, visiting Australia, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest. After stops in Japan and the Far East the trip was capstoned by a circumnavigation of the world back to the East coast via the Indian Ocean and Africa. The actuality of going straight from the extreme cold and desolation of Antarctica to the heat, humidity, and foreign, warlike cultures of Fiji must have been quite an experience.

After four years of reeling under the boot of their commander the expedition ended in political turmoil as a vitroilic and lengthy court martial ensued. Unfortunately this court martial left the nation with a bad taste in its mouth, which probably explains why the exploratory expedition, despite its significant scientific and navigational successes, remains an unfortunately poorly known chapter in U.S. history. Hopefully this very readable book will start to correct this oversight.

Highly recommended!

It was a review of this book in the National Geographic Adventure magazine which first caught my eye, and prompted me to purchase Philbrick's excellent narrative of the US Exploring Expedition. The Expedition sailed from Norfolk, USA, carrying the scientific and exploratory hopes of the United States on a trip to South America, Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Asia that encompasses nearly 5 years. Over 500 men, in 6 ships left in 1838, to return in 1842, much reduced in number, but with enough scientific specimens (over 4000) to form a large portion of the Smithsonian collection. Commanded by Lieutenant Wilkes, the story of the US Ex. Ex has largely been forgotten, but Philbrick has produced a book which hopefully will bring to the forefront the achievements of the US Ex. Ex and its' men.

"Sea of Glory" is truly a spectacular rendition of events, as Philbrick portrays the deterioration of the relationship between Commander and his men, while journeying through some of most inhospitable seas in the world. Wilkes comes across as a near megalomaniac and odious character (almost immediately after beginning the expedition, he promoted himself Captain!), belittling the achievements of his underlings and inflating his own. It is a miracle that he was succeeded in bringing the expedition home largely unscathed. Nor does the story end there. The final chapters reveal the trials and tribulations of Wilkes (and other members of the expedition) as he realizes that he may be held accountable for his actions. Upon return of the expedition, there were no fewer than 5 court martials involving Wilkes and officers of the vessels comprising the expedition, largely petty incidents raised by Wilkes as revenge for perceived slights by the officers.

Philbrick writes extremely well, in a very fluid and easy manner, and it takes little effort to read. Large portions of the book are based upon the journal of Midshipman Reynolds, once an ardent admirer of his commander but by the conclusion of the expedition despising him. Philbrick superbly brings this out, contrasting parts of the journal from early on in the voyage to sections of the journal written much later, the journal's author much jaded and embittered by the actions of his commander. But Philbrick does not focus only on Wilkes; the achievements of the expedition are also discussed, and the sometimes incredibly imposing situations the expedition faces, such as the attack by natives on the expedition in the Fiji Islands which resulted in the death of Wilkes' nephew. A book of this type benefits from having illustrations and maps, and on neither account does it fail. There are a number of maps produced in the book, although I have to say the main map (in the preface), which traces the voyage of the expedition throughout the 5 years it spent abroad, is a little hard to follow due to the back and forth nature of parts of the expedition, and also when the expedition split up for short periods of time. There are two sections of very nice illustrations which show the main characters involved and some events that occurred.

"Sea of Glory" is a true story that ranks alongside the best of adventure books, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough. A worthy addition to the library.

A little crankish determination, a little sordid bickering, a heroic cruise on a sailing ship to the ends of the Earth, betrayal and exoneration - all elements of a great adventure book, written with verve and yet with careful scholarship. I'm amazed that so many other reviewers have given this eminently readable book only four stars. The publisher's marketing director made some terrible mistakes.

The saga of Captain Wilkes - his triumphs, his shortcomings, his political court-martial - form the narrative backbone of this book, but there's more to it. There's a lot of fascinating history of the paradigmatic changes in science and technology that occurred during the first half of the 19th Century, the era that Paul Johnson describes as The Birth of the Modern. There's also an insightful depiction of American politics in that period, focusing for a change not on the issues that led to the Civil War but on the still-urgent question of the role of the federal government in funding infrastructure and development, in this case of scientific knowledge.

The US Exploring Expedition was the federal government's largest investment of public money in scientific research before the space program, in adjusted dollars more expensive than the geological surveys after the Civil War - those of Clarence King and John Wesley Powell, which committed those fellows in Washington to subsidizing the "opening of the West" - and it was, though plagued with problems and disappointing to some of its advocates, a monumental success, an enormous contribution to the world's knowledge of itself. Without federal funding, it would never have occurred. That's the subtext to all the glory of exploration, isn't it? Without Isabela, no Columbus! The closest comparison to the US Exploring Expedition is the US Space Program, so fearfully politicized and handicapped by Republican administrations and congresses. Foresightful and generous support of the sciences is one of the justifying functions of government - democratic, oligarchic, monarchical - and since science, even as early as 1838, has become big and expensive, government can be of greatest value to humanity on a proportionate scale. The difficulty that its promoters had in getting the EE funded tells much about the inadequacy of capitalism, also; the "business" interests who insisted on immediate profitable returns from the scientific expedition came close to destroying the whole project.

I am really at a loss on how to convey Philbrick's epic story and accomplishment to you. Unlike his last book, In the Heart of the Sea (which is a tremendous favorite of mine) which was an adventure story of survival Mr. Philbrick's SEA OF GLORY is a major contribution to U. S. History. How is it possible, that I had not heard of this expedition, it's results, it's contribution to the Smithsonian and science. Philbrick's answer is to blame its strange leader, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. Yet the telling puts lots of blame on politics and personality as they impact history. But the great thing is, that although many may have been aware of this expedition, Mr. Philbrick has brought it alive for the general reader, and I suspect to the lesson plans of many U. S. History classes. Having just read OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD about Magellan's voyage three hundred years earlier I found it a great prequel to the story of the Wilke's expedition that circumnavigated the world and accomplished some amazing things. One of Philbrick's real accomplishments is the personalization of the voyage, told through the one of the Expeditions officers, William Reynolds who at first idolizes his commander only to form a "hate" that even colors his own judgement and ability to fairly assess the Exhibitions results. This personal story makes this narrative more compelling and entertaining. I highly recommend Sea of Glory.

What native-born American hasn't heard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? (Well, OK, the quality of public education being what it is, there are, perhaps, contemporary high school graduates that haven't a clue. But, you get my point.) However, I'd never heard of the United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-42, even after a primary and secondary education in private schools and fifty-six years of reading and general awareness.

During the four years the intrepid Ex. Ex. naval squadron was at sea sailing 87,000 miles, it surveyed 1500 miles of the Antarctic coast, 280 Pacific islands (including all of the Fiji Group), Puget Sound, 800 miles of the Oregon coast, the Columbia River from its mouth to the vicinity of Portland, and San Francisco Bay. Almost as asides, it also scaled Mauna Loa to its summit and surveyed the overland route from Oregon to San Francisco. During its circumnavigation of the globe, the Ex. Ex. suffered the disappearance or shipwreck of two vessels and the deaths of a couple dozen men.

Like his other narrative IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: THE TRAGEDY OF THE WHALESHIP ESSEX, this volume by Nathaniel Philbrick is a splendid, immensely readable book. It covers the genesis and 10-year preparation for the Ex. Ex., the odyssey itself, and its aftermath, with special emphasis on the leadership skills, or lack thereof, of its turbulent, troubled, and remarkable commander, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. Contrary to other otherwise excellent works of popular history, SEA OF GLORY also includes maps and three sections of perfectly apropos illustrations; kudos to the author for including them.

What was a monumental achievement was ultimately overshadowed by America's preoccupation with its western territories and the controversy, including court-martial, surrounding the martinet Wilkes, truly a Jerk with a capital "J" if there ever was one.

SEA OF GLORY was a major revelation about a largely forgotten event in United States history. I'm glad I took the time to read it, and heartily recommend it as an instructive and entertaining volume.

This is a wonderful book, slightly flawed in some places, but very readable nonetheless. The author has decided to concentrate on the "Ex. Ex.", the United States Navy Exploring Expedition, which travelled the seven seas between 1838-42. While the expedition collected a wealth of scientific specimens, discovered Antarctica (at least sort of) and surveyed many of the islands in the Pacific, it was overshadowed by the personality of its leader, a quirky, moody, unstable figure known as Charles Wilkes. Wilkes is perhaps better known for the Trent incident, where he commanded a ship that took two Confederate commissioners off of a British Mail Packet in early 1862. The incident almost sparked a British intervention which would have probably proven disasterous to the United States. Apparently, when Wilkes led the Ex. Ex., his unstable personality and impulsive temperment were very obvious, and the author makes a good case that he never should have been allowed near a Naval vessel again.

Wilkes sailed from New York in 1838 with six ships, and called at Rio de Janero, Tierra del Fuego, various islands in the South Pacific, New Zealand, Sydney Australia, Hawaii, Antarctica, and the coast of Oregon before returning to the states via the Indian Ocean and Cape Horn. He was the first to survey the Antarctic coast (for more than a century it was doubted he had sighted it, but more recent surveys prove his veracity) and drew charts of several hundred islands in the Pacific. The scientists he brought with him returned with thousands of plants, animals, rocks, corals, and other samples that they studied for years. The author credits this with starting the study of science in the United States, and making the study of these various things into a professional pursuit.

In addition, however, Wilkes was a strange personality. Much of the book is concerned with the strange antics he went through while commanding the squadron. He wasn't the first choice to lead the expedition, but every senior officer in the Navy turned it down before Wilkes was selected. Since he was only a lieutenant and lieutenants usually command small ships rather than squadrons, Wilkes asked for an acting promotion. When he didn't get it, he assumed he would and promoted himself to captain, then declared that he was a Commodore and flew the pennant of one for the remainder of the voyage. This was just the start of his strangeness. He was a poor sailor and seaman, but a very skilled navigator and especially surveyor. As a result, several times in the voyage his seamanship almost resulted in the sinking of his ship. He always responded by doing his best to undermine and humiliate whoever resulted in the ship being saved, as if to emphasize that he wasn't grateful to them, or perhaps in jealousy of their greater skill.

This goes on for several hundred pages. The author's mercifully brief when it comes to the Courts Martial that followed the return of the expedition's vessels, and only briefly recounts the lives of the principals after the expedition, but the Ex. Ex. itself receives a good deal of treatment, and proves to be very interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in exploration.

Philbrick is undoubtedly one of the finest maritime writers working today. I thought his previous book, on the whaleship Essex, was excellent, but in the breadth of the tale told, Sea of Glory surpasses it. This book deserves wide attention, not the least for helping restore to history a fascinating tale of exploration that has simply vanished from America's history books: A four year journey round the globe, in which the existence of the Antarctic continent is proven, many islands of the South Sea and the Pacific Northwest surveyed for the first time and charted, and thousands upon thousands of plant, animal, and ethnographic specimens collected, which became the founding collections of the Smithsonian. Indeed, Philbrick makes clear that many US scientific organizations owe their start to the "US Ex Ex."

In addition to US Ex Ex's accomplishments, Philbrick tells of many, sometimes deadly, adventures -- ships wrecked and battered by storms, encounters with island natives, even a very short "war."

Finally, there is the all important human element: One reason the US Ex Ex vanished was the way the journey ended -- in courts martial and wrangling. The commander of the expedition, Wilkes, managed to turn his many young officers from ardent admirers into bitter enemies, through his fierce ambitions, paranoia, and other deep personal flaws -- which in turn may have colored Melville's portrait of Captain Ahab in Moby Dick.

I'm very glad to have found this book. Be sure to look through the excellent bibliography as well, which is a goldmine of sources for more information on US expeditions and early science.

This is a fairly good history of the Ex Ex. There are a few glitches. The author seems to ignore the earlier British discovery of the Antarctic Peninsula (see "Below the Convergence") and seems to claim that George Vancouver never entered the Columbia River (although Vancouver traveled upstream far enough to sight and name Mount Hood - see the biography of Peter Puget).

Anyone who has worked for a government bureaucracy will recognize the problem of the petty infighting over who would be in control. If a person could not be in control, that person was unwilling to cooperate. Being in control took priority over getting the work done.

Charles Wilkes comes across as a man who had skills as a scientific administrator, but little experience in seamanship. Manning the expedition seemed to depend more on connections than ability. Nevertheless, the expedition had some amount of success, producing marine charts and new scientific information. Wilkes comes across as a pompous typrant, seeking personal glory, and jealous of anyone under his command who was more able than himself. He was somewhat like Captain Cook, demanding all journals and writings from individuals on the expedition so that he would personally be the author of the final report (James Cook did that at the end of his second voyage). He became a law onto himself when he was far from home waters and government authority. He was court martialed at the end of the voyage, but only reprimanded.

The author does provide an afterward giving the fate of various individuals involved in the voyage. Charles Wilkes (like William Bligh in the British Royal Navy) later became an admiral, but was relieved of his command during the American Civil War for exercising some of the same high-handedness that he displayed during the Ex Ex voyage.