Captain James Cook first set sail to the Pacific in 1768 - 250 years ago. These vast waters, one third of the earth’s surface, had not yet been mapped by European explorers - but they were not unknown. A rich diversity of people and cultures had navigated, traded, lived and fought here for thousands of years. Before Cook, the Pacific was disconnected from the power and ideas of Europe, Asia and America. In the wake of Cook, everything changed.

Inspired by the Foxtel series of the same name, in which actor and raconteur Sam Neill undertakes a deeply personal journey to map his own understanding of Europe’s greatest navigator and the immense Pacific Ocean itself, The Pacific is a vivid account of the people, civilisations and cultures Cook encountered, and the impact on their lives following contact. This is a rich, lively and engaging account of history, people and place, that draws on both historical and present day perspectives and gives voice to both sides of the beach.

Fascinating, engaging, compelling and vital, this is our history - but not as you know it.