From the back cover:
"... In this epic adventure, Philbrick recounts the harrowing story of a voyage of discovery that dwarfed the journey of Lewis and Clark: The U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838 - 1842: the "Ex.Ex." Six magnificent sailing vessels and a crew of hundreds set out to map the entire Pacific Ocean and ended up naming the newly discovered continent of Antarctica, conducting path-breaking scientific research, and collecting what would become the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution. Combining spellbinding human drama and meticulous research, Philbrick reconstructs the dark saga of the voyage to show why, instead of being celebrated and revered as that of Lewis and Clark, it has - until now - been relegated to a footnote in the national memory."

This was a fascinating book. The expedition's accomplishments were incredible - the first to conclusively prove that Antarctica is a continent rather than a shifting mass of icebergs, and the first to create detailed charts of over 700 Pacific islands and reefs. Some of the charts of this expedition were used as recently as WWII, when American forces used them to draw up battle plans against the Japanese. The collection of artifacts that were collected during the voyage were the basis of what would become the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C.

Wilkes, the commander of the six ships in the expedition, however, was selected for his scientific knowledge and skill at surveying rather than his military or sailing skills, and he felt threatened by his subordinates who were better sailors. He imagined cabals arraigned against him and mutinies brewing everywhere. In his paranoia, he dismissed his best lieutenants and, in the process, really did turn his remaining staff against him. He also felt that his rank didn't give him the authority and respect that he deserved, so once he was beyond the reach of the Navy, he gave himself a field promotion, further alienating his crew.

At the end of the four-year voyage, several of Wilke's officers brought him up on charges before the Navy and he faced a highly politicized court-martial. He, in turn, pressed charges against the officers that he'd considered to be insubordinate or mutinous. A total of five court-martials were held when the expedition returned home. Because of the political climate at the time, the charges, counter-charges, trials and scandals far outweighed the scientific results of the expedition, and it has been largely forgotten in history.

RELEASE NOTES:

I'll release this somewhere around the Phoenix Civic Center when I attend the Diabetes Expo, an annual education event of the American Diabetes Association.