Launched in 1768 as a commonplace coal-carrying vessel, Endeavour became the most significant ship in the chronicle of British exploration. Onboard this vessel, James Cook made his first major voyage, charting for the first time New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. As Peter Moore notes, the same ship that transported botanists, a Polynesian priest, and the first kangaroo to arrive in Britain also carried Hessian mercenaries to fight in the Revolutionary War, making Endeavour into a toxic symbol of imperialism.

"A page-turning, breathtaking adventure story for the ages…. History at its most exciting and revealing."—Kirkus Reviews(starred review)

"A joy of a biography, offering up a blizzard of maritime and political fascinations…. Moore has written a book that makes the case for [Endeavour] both compelling and irrefutable—and offers up besides an immense treasure trove of fact-filled and highly readable fun."—Simon Winchester