Robert Lee Eskridge

In this richly illustrated biography, C. J. Cook chronicles the remarkable life of Robert Lee Eskridge, a painter, writer, and restless traveler whose career unfolded across five decades and three oceans. From the studios and salons of Paris to the lagoons of Tahiti, from the volcanic landscapes of Hawai‘i to the vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro, Eskridge transformed lived experience into art and observation into enduring narrative.

C.J. Cook is an award-winning author and historian with a long interest in the history of the South Pacific. His first book, Tyree: Artist of the South Pacific (2017), was an incredible success, winning two Gold Awards for Best Cover and Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in April 2018. His second book, Leeteg: Babes, Bars, Beaches, and Black Velvet Art, won a Gold Medal for Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) in April 2022. In 2023, Cook released a sequel to his first biography, Beauty in the Beast: Flora, Fauna, and Endangered Species of Artist Ralph Burke Tyree. This work expanded on Ralph Burke Tyree's themes and legacy. Continuing his exploration of South Pacific artists' lives and works, in January 2025, Cook will release his fourth book, Edithe Beutler: Beautifying Hawaii with Color (2025). Beutler was the foremost colorist in Hawaii, painting black and white prints before color photography.

Cook has been a lifelong manuscript collector interested in art and the South Pacific. He is a board member of The Manuscript Society, dedicated to preserving manuscripts and historical documents. 

He also collects art from the South Pacific, including Ralph Burke Tyree, Edgar Leeteg, Edithe Beutler, Madge Tennent, Cece Rodriguez, Robert Lee Eskridge, and William Bloom. Some of these paintings appear in his books.

He has and continues to explore the South Pacific, including Guam, Pohnpei, Taiwan, Truk, Palau, Bali, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, its Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti and its surrounding islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. He visits the last two island paradises multiple times a year.