"Sides has mastered the art of you-are-there historical narrative. A thrilling and necessary update to one of history's most consequential cultural collisions." -John Vaillant, New York Times bestselling author of Fire Weather and The Tiger

"Sides has mastered the art of you-are-there historical narrative. A thrilling and necessary update to one of history's most consequential cultural collisions." -John Vaillant, New York Times bestselling author of Fire Weather and The Tiger

On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution.

Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach on the island of Hawaii, Cook was killed in a conflict with native Hawaiians. How did Cook, who was unique among captains for his respect for Indigenous peoples and cultures, come to that fatal moment?