BNOB: "Sea of Glory" by Nathaniel Philbrick

(What does BNOB mean?)

   "Sea of Glory" is an excellent, thoroughly researched book by Nathaniel Philbrick.  It is the account of the U.S. Exploring Expedition briefly described by me here.  The Smithsonian site dedicated to the expedition is here.

The U.S. Exploring Expedition was directed by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes and lasted for four years.  Wilkes' rank sets the undertone for much of the controversy documented throughout the book, as the book in many ways is a negative study in leadership.  If anything, it also serves as an excellent test case for why supervisors of projects need to give their leaders of said projects all of the resources, responsibilities, and designations commensurate with the task.  Lieutenant Wilkes asked the Secretary of the Navy repeatedly for a designation as Captain before departure, albeit even if temporarily.  He cited morale and respect for the rank as two of the many reasons he needed the rank to direct six vessels and over 400 men around the world for 3-4 years.  The Navy refused his request multiple times.  A great deal of controversy and misunderstanding characterized the following four years.

However, the Expedition was a great success.  They did surveys and explored the coast of Antarctica.  The Expedition and its collected artifacts, upon their return, were the direct forbears of the founding of the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Botanical Garden, and to some extent, the U.S. Naval Observatory.

Philbrick does a great job telling this story.  This book would make an excellent topic for a unit study in homeschools or junior high/high school history class as the topics covered and intersected include two U.S. presidential administrations, the colonization of the Pacific Northwest by the British, the exploration of the South Pacific, naval skills and history, whaling, and the visiting of numerous cultures, especially island cultures.  I rank the book a 9 out of 10.