The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

Hampton Sides is best known for his gripping nonfiction adventure stories set in war or depicting epic expeditions of discovery and exploration. He is the author of the bestselling histories Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder, Hellhound on His Trail, In the Kingdom of Ice, and On Desperate Ground. 

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His latest history, The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook was named a Best Book of the Year So Far 2024 by The New York Times Book Review. In his account of Cook’s last journey, Sides both wrestles with Cook’s legacy and provides a thrilling narrative of the titanic efforts and continual danger that characterized exploration in the 1700s.

Sides is the 2015 Miller Distinguished Scholar at the Santa Fe Institute and is editor-at-large for Outside and a frequent contributor to National Geographic and other magazines. A frequent lecturer, Sides divides his time between Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Colorado College, where he teaches narrative nonfiction and serves as Journalist in Residence.

About the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series

For over 25 years, the Oregon Historical Society has presented the Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series, bringing together the nation’s top historians and award-winning authors for thought-provoking evenings of history. The series began at the suggestion of Senator Hatfield and continues as a tribute to his legacy of public service and as an opportunity to share stories of the people and events that have shaped history. Past speakers include notable historians and authors Heather Cox Richardson, David McCullough, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Jon Meacham, Cokie Roberts, and Isabel Wilkerson.

2025 Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series

Nikole Hannah-Jones | February 4, 2025
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story

Lindsay Chervinksy | March 4, 2025
Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents that Forged the Republic

Steve Inskeep | April 8, 2025
Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America

Hampton Sides | May 13, 2025
The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

All lectures begin at 7pm and will be held at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in downtown Portland as well as livestreamed.

Announcing 2025 Series Seat Renewals

New this year! OHS members who purchased series tickets (subscribers) for the 2024 Hatfield Lecture Series will have the opportunity to renew their same seats for the 2025 Hatfield Lecture Series.

Seat renewals will be available August 13 through September 3. OHS member-subscribers will receive an email from Portland’5 on August 7 with detailed instructions on how to renew their seats for the 2025 Hatfield Lecture Series. Seat relocation will not be available.

This seat renewal does not include seats for Heather Cox Richardson.

MEMBERS: The 2025 Hatfield Lecture Series presale begins on Tuesday, September 24, at 10am, for members to purchase series tickets as well as member-subscribers who did not renew their 2024 seat location. Members will be sent an email on September 23 with details on how to access the presale. If you do not receive this email, please email [email protected] or call 503.306.5211.

NON-MEMBERS: Sign up to become a member to access discounted tickets and early seat selection through the member presale. If you were a 2024 Hatfield Lecture Series subscriber, become a member before Monday, August 12, for the opportunity to renew your seats for the 2025 series. Series tickets go on sale to non-members October 8.

Tickets & Pricing

Listed prices are for the four-part series and do not include tickets to Heather Cox Richardson.

A Note on General Admission Seating: The General Admission area at all Hatfield Lecture Series events is open seating. To secure specific seats in advance, please purchase Reserved or Patron level tickets.

Virtual-only tickets can be purchased online  through the Oregon Historical Society. Virtual ticketholders will attend the events via livestream.

All ticketholders will be emailed a recording of the lecture 48 hours after the event. The recording will be available for 14 days. Recorded lectures will have closed captioning.

All sales are final. If you wish to donate your tickets and receive a receipt for tax purposes, please email [email protected] with details on which ticket(s) you wish to donate.

Additional Ticket Options

Student and Educator Tickets: OHS is offering $5 student tickets and $10 educator tickets to each lecture. A limited number of tickets are available. Please email [email protected] from your school-associated email address to purchase tickets or reach out to your contact on the OHS Education Team.

Arts for All Tickets: Discounted tickets to the spring lectures will be available for Oregon Trail Card holders through the Arts for All program for $5, when individual lecture tickets go on sale January 22, 2025. Bring your Oregon Trail Card to the Portland’5 Box Office to purchase tickets.

Purchase a Signed Book

Copies of each speaker’s latest book (which include a signed bookplate) will be available for purchase before or after each lecture in the lobby of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. You can also visit the OHS Museum Store seven days a week, Monday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm, or Sunday, 12pm to 5pm, or place your order by emailing [email protected] or calling 503.306.5230. All purchases in the OHS Museum Store support the Oregon Historical Society’s mission.