A Pirate of Exquisite Mind - The Life of William Dampier (Paperback, New ed)

William Dampier, (1651-1715), was an English adventurer and pirate who preyed on ships on the Spanish Main. Poor and ill-educated and determined to make his fortune, he nonetheless had a passion for exploration and scientific research. Dampier was the first to map the winds and currents of the world's oceans; led the first recorded party of Englishmen to set foot on Australia - 80 years before Cook; wrote about Galapagos wildlife 150 years before Darwin, who drew on Dampier's notes in his own work; was the first travel writer: A NEW VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD was instant bestseller when it was published in 1697 - said to have influenced the novels of Swift and Defoe. A man full of contradictions: he who achieved so much 'blew it' later in life, declining into scandal, failure and even farce. A unique man ahead of his time, he lived a large part of his life among pirates yet managed to preserve what Coleridge called his "exquisite refinement of mind". A classic example of the best narrative history.

General

Imprint:	Corgi Books
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Release date:	April 2005
Authors:	Diana Preston • Michael Preston
Dimensions:	196 x 126 x 32mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback - Mass Market
Pages:	512
Edition:	New ed
ISBN-13:	978-0-552-77210-5
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Biography & autobiography > Historical, political & military Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Maritime history Books > History > History of specific subjects > Maritime history Books > Biography > Historical, political & military
LSN:	0-552-77210-0
Barcode:	9780552772105

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