It is almost impossible to overstate the achievements of James Cook. This brilliant navigator explored more of the Earth’s surface than any other man before or since.
But more than a century after Cook, an amateur cartographer named George Collingridge sparked outrage when he claimed that Cook’s achievements had indeed been overstated. According to Collingridge, a series of ancient maps proved it was the Portuguese, not James Cook, who had discovered Australia.
In the late 1800s, this was not something the Australians – or the British Empire at its zenith – wanted to hear. Collingridge was silenced.
This remarkable new documentary reopens the book on Collingridge’s claims. His descendent, broadcaster and geographer Vanessa Collingridge, embarks on her own voyage of discovery to reassess the achievements of Cook and to test the theories of George Collingridge.
Lauded for her findings in her book Captain Cook - Obsession and Discovery, Vanessa Collingridge will open the world of 18th Century sea travel for viewers through state-of-the art television technique. Dramatic reconstruction and CGI will bring the world of Captain James Cook to life.
Interviews and experiments with leading scientific and nautical experts will illustrate just how remarkable Cook’s numerous discoveries were, as well as showing where, limited by 18th century technology, he failed.
Never before has the life of this great man been so vividly – and accurately – portrayed.
Personalising the series is Vanessa Collingridge’s quest to understand the findings of her troublesome ancestor George Collingridge. Has history done him a disservice for ignoring his claims? Or can they now be dismissed as misguided? The process of her personal discoveries makes for compelling viewing.
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