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The Secret History of Hermes Trismegistus: Hermeticism from Ancient to Modern Times

The Pacific world examined by Gascoigne no longer exists; in fact, he stresses the changes introduced by explorers such as Cook and the traders who followed (and in some cases preceded) his voyages. More important, Gascoigne stresses the rapidity of those changes. Cook’s voyages spanned a mere dozen years (1768–80), yet exposure to European goods (from iron nails to cloth) and European ideas (from trading practices to attitudes toward sex) irrevocably changed Pacific cultures. So rapid were the changes that Cook had problems adjusting from one voyage to the next, perhaps leading to the frustration and anger on the last voyage that resulted in Cook’s death in Hawaii. This is an impressive book. In many ways, it is cutting-edge scholarship. Gascoigne combines superb research, brilliant analysis, and more than a flash of unusual insight into a volume that historians interested in global studies should read for technique and for content. The same can be said for students of British history and the early empire, and for those with an interest in European-contact-era Pacific cultures.