Background
Miriam Estensen was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
book
Understanding Ancient Worlds
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Ancient-Worlds-Miriam-Estensen/dp/0855832169
1995
Discovery: The Quest for the Great South Land
(Six centuries before the birth of Christ, people began to...)
Six centuries before the birth of Christ, people began to imagine an immense land at the bottom of the world, a land of marvels, of enormous wealth and mystery. Discovery is the story of the quest which compelled men in small ships to traverse unknown seas, endure extraordinary hardships, and slowly unveil the sixth continent.
https://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Quest-Great-South-Land/dp/0851777694
1998
The Life of Matthew Flinders
(In 1790, a stubborn sixteen-year-old defied his father an...)
In 1790, a stubborn sixteen-year-old defied his father and went to sea. Here began the remarkable career of Matthew Flinders, a career that ended in his fortieth year. The Life of Matthew Flinders is a story of persistence and audacious risk-taking, driving ambition and frustration, obstinate determination, and doubt. It is a richly detailed account of tragedy, short-lived triumph, exile on an enemy island, and painful early death. It is also the story of a man who became one of the great navigators of the nineteenth century, an adventurer who left an indelible mark on a continent and a nation.
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Matthew-Flinders-Miriam-Estensen-ebook/dp/B01GTQ8AFA
2002
The Life of George Bass: Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment
(On February 5, 1802, the 142-ton brig Venus cleared Sydne...)
On February 5, 1802, the 142-ton brig Venus cleared Sydney's heads to begin a trading voyage through the islands of the Pacific. Onboard as captain was one of her owners, the surgeon, navigator, adventurer, and entrepreneur George Bass. Neither Bass nor Venus completed the voyage. They simply vanished into the Pacific. The questions are many. Was the Venus wrecked on the coast of New Zealand? Did the ship sink in a storm? Or, as some reports suggest, did Bass reach South America only to be incarcerated by the Spanish? Miriam Estensen brings to bear exhaustive research in archives and libraries around the world and her characteristic subtlety and insight to present a richly detailed account of the life and mysterious disappearance of this gifted and very complicated man.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y3A1BS/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
2005
Terra Australis Incognita: The Spanish Quest for the Mysterious Great South Land
(Seeking the legendary Great South Land, the Spanish conqu...)
Seeking the legendary Great South Land, the Spanish conquistadors of the late 16th and early 17th centuries sailed from South America into the unknown southwestern Pacific. Crossing the planet's largest ocean in small wooden ships with rudimentary navigation, these conquistadors encountered for the first time the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, the south coast of New Guinea, and the east coast of Australia. In addition, the book recounts such little known details as the attempts to colonize that ended in death and disaster, the violent confrontations and tentative friendships with the indigenous people, and the search for King Solomon's mythical land, Ophir.
https://www.amazon.com/Terra-Australis-Incognita-Spanish-Mysterious/dp/1741750547
2006
The Letters of George and Elizabeth Bass
(In August 1800, George Bass returned to England after fiv...)
In August 1800, George Bass returned to England after five years in the British colony of New South Wales. Gifted, ambitious, and impatient with the limitations of a naval career, he took leave from the navy to purchase a ship of his own and organize a commercial venture to Sydney. He also met Elizabeth Waterhouse and fell very much in love. For the next two years and across two oceans, letters were the only link between George and Elizabeth Bass. Rich in detail and deeply personal, The Letters of George and Elizabeth Bass provides a uniquely vivid and intimate portrait of the lives of these two young people and the era in which they lived.
https://www.amazon.com/Letters-George-Elizabeth-Bass-ebook/dp/B08N8WMY4G
2009
Miriam Estensen
Edit ProfileEducation
Being raised in Spain, Sweden, and the Philippines, Miriam Estensen completed her education in California, United States.
Career
Miriam Estensen is the author who is interested in the maritime history of the world. In 1972 Miriam traveled to Australia with her family and it was on a trip through the Torres Strait that her interest in early European navigators began. She became famous after the publication of her book, Discovery: The Quest for the Great South Land (1998), which seamlessly melds history, geopolitics, adventure, travel, and natural history to tell of civilization's imaginative and physical forays into the mapmakers' southern Terra Incognita. Estensen draws on archival research and archeological finds in her account of this historic quest, a tale of derring-do, incredible blunders, persistence, greed, mutiny, and devotion to a mirage. Estensen's seaworthy narrative is illustrated with maps, engravings, paintings, and woodcuts.
The Life of Matthew Flinders, published in 2002, is Estensen's study of the first man to complete a true circumnavigation of Australia whose passengers included scientists who collected and cataloged various plant and animal specimens. In this book, Estensen gives her readers Flinders's ups and downs. Writing this book, she created a well-rounded picture of the man as he was seen by his companions, friends, and enemies, full of vivid descriptions of his times and the events he was a part of.
Terra Australis Incognita: The Spanish Quest for the Mysterious Great South Land (2006) tells about Spanish voyages of discovery that sailed from South America into the unknown southwestern Pacific in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This is a story of passionate beliefs, high hopes, catastrophic failures, attempted colonies that ended in death and disaster, violent confrontations and tentative friendship with indigenous people, a fierce clash of cultures, and relentless ambition in search of the gold of King Solomon's Ophir.
Another known book by Estensen is The Letters of George and Elizabeth Bass published in 2009. This is a beautiful and tragic love story told through the letters explorer George Bass exchanged with his new, young wife Elizabeth during their very short marriage. The book shows a passionate and extraordinary love affair carried out across the oceans, love that Elizabeth never let go of as she wrote increasingly despairing letters to her husband, already lost at sea.
Miriam Estensen's other works include The Life of George Bass: Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment, World History, Understanding Ancient Worlds, and Ancient History.
Achievements
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Miriam Estensen is a known gifted author and the country's leading historian of Australian maritime discovery. Her books Discovery: The Quest for the Great South Land, The Life of Matthew Flinders, and Terra Australis Incognita: The Spanish Quest for the Mysterious Great South Land were published to critical acclaim. All of her books received a warm reception from readers and reviewers.
Works
book
-
Terra Australis Incognita: The Spanish Quest for the Mysterious Great South Land
(Seeking the legendary Great South Land, the Spanish conqu...)
2006 -
Discovery: The Quest for the Great South Land
(Six centuries before the birth of Christ, people began to...)
1998 -
The Life of George Bass: Surgeon and Sailor of the Enlightenment
(On February 5, 1802, the 142-ton brig Venus cleared Sydne...)
2005 -
The Letters of George and Elizabeth Bass
(In August 1800, George Bass returned to England after fiv...)
2009 -
The Life of Matthew Flinders
(In 1790, a stubborn sixteen-year-old defied his father an...)
2002 - Understanding Ancient Worlds 1995
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Terra Australis Incognita: The Spanish Quest for the Mysterious Great South Land
Connections
Miriam Estensen is married to a retired sea captain.
