HENRY HUDSON

There are many lacunae in the saga of Henry Hudson, not the least being the absence of any account of his appearance and youth. But we do know that he came from a family of mariners and -- before exploring the Hudson under the aegis of the Dutch -- made two voyages for the English Muscovy Company during which he discovered the rich whaling grounds of Spitsbergen (which created a new British industry) and wrote a detailed account of a mermaid sighting. Hudson's continued association with his mutionous first mate Robert Juet is another open question, but it led to his abandonment in Hudson Bay and the end of his spectacular though technically unsuccessful search for a northern passage to the Orient. Joseph retells Hudson's life, gaps and all, with an agreeable restraint reinforced by the many contemporary prints and maps.