In the book of R.V. Makarova, written largely on the basis of archival sources, little researched issues related to the discovery and economic development of new territories in the Pacific Ocean by Russian industrialists are still covered. The author provides rich factual material on the development and organization of fur trade on the islands of the Pacific Ocean and the coast of North America and shows its place and role in the development of capitalist relations in Russia in the second half of the 18th century.