书目

A Pirate Of Exquisite Mind: The Life Of William Dampier

内容简介

WilliamDampier,(1651-1715),wasanEnglishadventurerandpiratewhopreyedonshipsontheSpanishMain.Poorandill-educatedanddeterminedtomakehisfortune,henonethelesshadapassionforexplorationandscientificresearch.Dampierwasthefirsttomapthewindsandcurrentsoftheworld'soceans;ledthefirstrecordedpartyofEnglishmentosetfootonAustralia-80yearsbeforeCook;wroteaboutGalapagoswildlife150yearsbeforeDarwin,whodrewonDampier'snotesinhisownwork;wasthefirsttravelwriter:ANEWVOYAGEAROUNDTHEWORLDwasinstantbestsellerwhenitwaspublishedin1697-saidtohaveinfluencedthenovelsofSwiftandDefoe.Amanfullofcontradictions:hewhoachievedsomuch'blewit'laterinlife,decliningintoscandal,failureandevenfarce.Auniquemanaheadofhistime,helivedalargepartofhislifeamongpiratesyetmanagedtopreservewhatColeridgecalledhis'exquisiterefinementofmind'.Aclassicexampleofthebestnarrativehistory.

作者简介

DianaPrestonisanOxford-trainedhistorian,writer,andbroadcasterwholivesinLondon.SheistheauthorofTheRoadtoCullodenMoor;AFirstRateTragedy:RobertFalconScottandtheRacetotheSouthPole;TheBoxerRebellionandWilfulMurder:TheSinkingoftheLusitania.MichaelPreston,DianaPreston'shusband,readEnglishatOxfordUniversityandisnowanhistorianandtraveller.

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