Hampton SIdes Interview

Captain James Cook—celebrated explorer, national hero, and tragic figure—set out on his third and final voyage with a mission that would change the world. But what did his journey cost, and who paid the price? In this episode, acclaimed historian and bestselling author Hampton Sides joins us to discuss The Wide Wide Sea, his sweeping new chronicle of Cook’s last expedition. We explore the entanglement of science, empire, and myth, and the cultural collisions that shaped a turning point in global history. Hampton shares the surprising truths he uncovered about Cook, the Indigenous cultures Cook encountered—and how one of history’s most famous explorers became an agent of irreversible change.