Readers who enjoy history, intrigue, and a fine sea tale will relish this latest work by Gough. Intimately familiar with the region's complex waterways (Gough lives in Victoria, British Columbia) and impressive in his command of a broad swath of first-hand historical accounts, Gough traces the histories of ship captains, their business backers, and the kings and queens involved in the exploration of the area now known as the Salish Sea, among them Peter Puget, George Vancouver, James Cook, and particularly, Juan de Fuca. The naval story is balanced with equally detailed accounts of the interaction of the early explorers and would-be conquerors with Northwest Coast Indians. Many maps and b&w images are included. Distributed in the US by Partners Publishers Group. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)