Voyages of delusion : the Northwest Passage in the age of reason / by Glyn Williams
London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2002. First Edition. Fine cloth copy in an equally fine dw, now mylar-sleeved. Particularly and surprisingly well-preserved; tight, bright, clean and especially sharp-cornered.; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 467 pages; Description: xx, 467 p. : ill., maps ; 24 cm. Maps on lining papers. Includes bibliographical references (p. [431]-453) and index. Subjects: Northwest Passage --Discovery and exploration --Arctic regions. Summary: The eighteenth century--the Age of Reason--was characterized by determined attempts by philosophers, scientists, and political theorists to dispel myth, superstition, and ignorance. But the Age of Reason also witnessed some of the most irrational and vainglorious attempts by sailors and speculators to find a navigable Northwest Passage that would lead through the icy seas of the Arctic from Hudson Bay to the wealth of the Pacific Ocean. Lured by the promise of fame and riches, men endured paralyzing cold, malnutrition, and terrifying storms. Many lives and fortunes were lost in the quest for the elusive "maritime philosopher's stone." Glyn Williams describes the adventures and mishaps of these misguided expeditions. Item #155821
ISBN: 0002571811
Price: €9.95