The Ship tells the exciting story of Captain James Cook’s voyage on the Endeavour and describes what happened when a BBC team of volunteers boarded a magnificent replica of the ship to retrace a dramatic stretch of its route from Cape Grafton in Australia to Jakarta in Indonesia. Simon Baker, author and volunteer able seaman, begins by taking a fresh look at Cook and the origins of his first voyage – how it turned from a scientific expedition to observe an eclipse into a far-reaching quest for the Great Southern Continent. Drawing on original journals, he re-examines Cook’s motives and reputation, revealing a more complex character than the hero that history has handed down to us. The replica Endeavour provided a unique opportunity to ‘test’ the achievements of Cook and his company within an authentic eighteenth-century environment.