Author: Philbrick, Nathaniel,
Title: In the Heart of the Sea: the tragedy of the whaleship Essex.
Description: NY, Viking, (16th ptg). VG in VG DJ. The ordeal of the whaleship Essex was a mythic event in the 19th century & inspired the climatic scene in Herman Melville's. Moby Dick masterpiece, to its rightful place in American history. In 1819 the 238 ton Essex set sail from Nantucket on a routine voyage for whales. 15 months later the Essex was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale in the further reaches of the South Pacific. Its 20 man crew, fearing cannibals on the islands to the west, decided instead to sail their 3 tiny boats for the distant S. American coast. They would eventually travel over 4,500 miles. In the next 3 months they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease and fear. These were not romantic adventurers but young working men, some teenagers, Philbrick's portrayal of the crew is a heartrending story of them trying to earn a living in the only way they knew how.

Keywords:


See more books from our catalog: History