Currently director of the Mütter Museum and Historical Medical Library of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Hicks combines his interests in maritime history and astronomy to explain the navigational art through a hypothetical voyage of a merchant galleon, Guyft from Bristol, England, to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1611. He draws on accounts of many voyages of the era, compiling salient features into a coherent narrative. Milestones in the voyage are paired with discussions including nautical astronomy, seamanship, the American commercial enterprise, and the use of navigational tools. Readers need know nothing of sailing, mathematics, or history to begin the voyage, but will know much about them all by the end. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)