Pacific Explorer: The Life of Jean Francois de La Perouse 1741-1788 Hardcovr, Good in Good dust jacket First Edition Publisher: Palmerston North Dunmore Press (1985) - 318 pages. "After James Cook, La Perouse is undeniably the major explorer of the Pacitic in the eighteenth century." After James Cook, La Perouse is undeniably the major explorer of the Pacific in the 18th Centruy. Leving France in 1785 his expedition spent 2 1/5 yrs in the Pacific, before vanishing totally after its departure from New South Wales in early 1788.

John Dunmore has written much on Pacific exploration, particularly by the French, and this work studies Jean-Francois de La Perouse and his notable voyage of discovery, which included California and Siberia, and Japan, from 1785 until his ship disappeared after leaving the Australian east coast 2 1/2 years later. His biography looks at French society of that time, international relations and the life of La Perouse in depth.