2018 marks the 250th anniversary of the sailing of James Cook’s first, of three voyages, to the South Seas. Many books have been published to commemorate this anniversary. If you are looking for a book that contains many illustrations and also substantial extracts of Cook’s journals and the official record of the first journey by his editor this book is for you.
If you are looking for an illustrated book with excellent commentaries and some extracts from the journals of Cook and Banks, I would recommend James Cook The Voyages by William Frame and Laura Walker; and Captain Cook and The Pacific – Art Exploration and Empire by John Mcaleer and Nigel Rigby. Both of these books have gorgeous illustrations by the artists who accompanied Cook.