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Title: In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nat Philbrick, Nathaniel Philbrick ISBN: 0-14-100182-8 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.58 (200 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A true tragedy, well-told.
Comment: "In the Heart of the Sea" is the story of the Nantucket whaleship Essex, which was sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after having been rammed by an enormous sperm whale, leaving its crew to fend for themselves for three months in open boats. Most of them die. It's a famous story, having inspired Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. Nathaniel Philbrick relates the events of the ill-fated voyage through the accounts of some of its survivors.
Hindsight is 20-20, and it seems easy to see how much of this disaster could have been averted. Culture, personalities, and dumb luck dictated otherwise, and the Essex story is truly a tragedy.
Although it's hard to read of the unrelenting sufferings of the men in their boats and what happens physically and psychologically on the way to death of thirst or starvation, this book adds a lot of information about 19th century Nantucket culture and the whaling world of the time. It also tells the stories of the survivors' lives after the tragedy, such as they are known. All in all, it's a very interesting read, highly recommended.
The (unabridged -- never skimp!) audiocassette version is well-narrated, a recommended alternative to sitting down with the work in print. However, if you're in it for historical research, you'll probably want access to the footnotes/citations on paper.
Rating: 5
Summary: Powerful Sea Story
Comment: In 1820 the whaleship Essex of Nantucket, shipping a vacillating captain and a headstrong first mate, was attacked by a sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean. For three months, crewmen survived in open boats, until a handful of survivors finally washed up in Chile. "In the Heart of the Sea" is a fascinating introduction to the nineteenth century whaling industry and a peek at the clannish Quaker community that was Nantucket island.
The story of the Essex inspired Herman Melville to write "Moby Dick", and perhaps the elements that Melville magnified are the most powerful part of the tale - the personalities of the officers. Philbrick carefully explains the social significance attached to being a Nantucketer versus an off-islander as well as the importance of intricate old-family ties in the whaling industry. Set against this context we have Captain Pollard, a courageous if weak commander, and first mate Owen Chase, a daring officer whose command skills improved as he shared the suffering of the men in the small whaleboats - though he was the one to convince Pollard to make the disastrous mistake of sailing eastward in the tiny boats.
As much as this is an introduction to whaling and a rousing sea tale, it is a story of contrasting personalities. Men at sea live and die by the quality of their commanders, and in the story of the Essex we see them do just that.
Rating: 5
Summary: Makes Readers Ask, "What Would I Do?"
Comment: IN THE HEART OF THE SEA is an absolutely spellbinding account of a sperm whale attacking the whaleship Essex in November 1820 and its aftermath. The book begins with a history of Nantucket and whaling, immersing the reader in the climate and culture of life on the eastern seaboard in the early 19th century. While being very educational, it describes the attempts at survival by the crew who had to overcome starvation and dehydration in order to live. It creates the natural questions in the reader, "What would I do in a similar situation?" and the ultimate questions, "Would I be able to eat my shipmates in order to survive?"and "What would I be like after the ordeal?"
Nathaniel Philbrick does an outstanding job of introducing and explaining subjects related to the many facets of whaling and the sea. He describes life on a whaleboat, the behavior of sperm whales, the psychology of survival, starvation and cannibalism. This provocative subject is handled in a sensitive, mature way that substantiates the many positive statements made about Philbrick's ability as a writer. IN THE HEART OF THE SEA transports the reader to a time and place lost forever. For that reason it is highly recommended!
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Title: Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick ISBN: 067003231X Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: 10 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale (Penguin Classics) by Thomas Nickerson, Owen Chase, Nathaniel Philbrick, Thomas Philbrick, Owen Chase ISBN: 0140437967 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: May, 2000 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing ISBN: 078670621X Publisher: Carroll & Graf Pub. Date: April, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Wreck of the Whaleship Essex by Owen Chase, Iola Haverstick, Betty Shepard ISBN: 0156006898 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 12 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton ISBN: 0805066322 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: April, 2001 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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