In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.50 (557 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0141001828 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 302 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-05-12 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats. From the author of Mayflower and Valiant Ambition, the riveting bestseller tells the story of the true events that inspired Melville's Moby-Dick. Winner of the National Book Award, Nathaniel Philbrick's book is a fantastic saga of survival and adventure, steeped in the lore of whaling, with deep resonance in American literature
We learn about the importance and mechanics of blubber production--a vital source of oil--and we get the nuts and bolts of harpooning and life aboard whalers. When the storyline is as good as this, you can't really ask for more. We never learn why no one ever tried to create an alternative whaling capital somewhere nearer. The epicenter of the whaling industry was Nantucket, a small island off Cape Cod; most of the whales were in the Pacific, necessitating a huge journey around the southernmost tip of South America. Similarly, Philbrick tells us that the story of the Essex was well known to Americans for decades, but he never explores how such legends fade from our consciousness. Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea is certainly cast from the same mold, examining the 19th-century Paci
husband and I both read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. We live on the West Coast PCat My husband and I both read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. We live on the West Coast, so it was so interesting to learn about the history of Nantucket (a place we have never visited) and an industry we knew nothing about (whaling). Add to that the whaler's struggle to survive a horrible shipwreck and it's a book we both h. Aline D. Coover said Is the Heart of a Journey into the Unknown.. Please read this book once you have seen the movie! The fact that it's true and actually happened is still astounding. I could not wait to find out more about how sailors were able to sail for Is the Heart of a Journey into the Unknown. Please read this book once you have seen the movie! The fact that it's true and actually happened is still astounding. I could not wait to find out more about how sailors were able to sail for 3 or more years into unknown and uncharted seas and return alive! Very thought provoking and inspiring information that left a deep imp. or more years into unknown and uncharted seas and return alive! Very thought provoking and inspiring information that left a deep imp. astonishing will to live, astonishing read I have read a couple of Nathaniel Philbricks' other books (Sea of Glory, and Mayflower) and knew I was in for a treat. His historical research and ability to portray events of resounding consequence in their contemporary contexts filled with very human characters is truly a gift. This book is no different. I had no particular