In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

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Summary: Basis for Melville's Moby Dick
Review: Nathiel Philbrick's superb In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, deservedly nominated for the National Book Award, looks at the true story which forms the backdrop for Melville's Moby Dick. On November 20, 1820, in the mid-Pacific, Nantucket whaler Essex was rammed repeatedly by a sperm whale, and sank. Over the next several months, the survivors attempted to sail 4,500 miles in open boats to South America. All did not make it, and at least one willingly became food for the others after lots were cast to decide who would be killed to feed the starving remainder. Philbrick ably describes the work of a whaler, and the backbreaking - - and at times terrifying - - tasks of its crew in harpooning and later processing whales at sea. Drawing on many original sources, particularly journals of several survivors, Philbrick convincingly describes what happened to the unfortunate men of the Essex, and places the reader at sea with them. .

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Summary: An amazing story of survival and human will
Review: Philbrick has writen a fascinating historical book on perhaps the most astounding survival story ever. The book begins by describing the brutal occupation of sailing and whaling that was a foundation of the Nantuckett economy. It's truely incredible to imagine the way of life for these sailors. They spent years at sea chasing sperm whales, paddling dangerously close to them in whaleboats and harpooning them, fully expecting to be tossed from the boat or possibly crushed when the whale thrashed about. Then they butchered the whale for it's oil, covering themselves with the stench of rotting blood and blubber. Then they'd do it again and again for months on end. Many of the sailors were barely 20- and most were so far down on the ladder they made almost nothing for the dangerous work of whaling. Set in this era is the story of the Whaleship Essex, rammed and sunk by a sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific, thousands of miles from land. The result is an amazing true story of survival and human will, including canibalism and torture by thirst in a desert of salt water.

Philbrick is a great writer, adding in bits of information on human anatomy (in regards to starvation and thirst) and other whale attacks on boats. He also keeps the book short and sweet. At just over 200 pages it is a quick read that's informative and gripping. Any longer and this book would seem drawn out. This is a great book for a quick read. True-life adventure stories don't get much better than this. You'll be amazed.

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Summary: Fantastic.
Review: Highly recommended. Philbrick's research is boiled down to 300 pages that are interesting historically and scientifically, yet fun!

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Summary: Historical reality of the whaling industry brought to life
Review: Subtitled "The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" and publishedin 2000 to critical acclaim, this true story was written by NathanielPhilbrick, a leading authority on the history of Nantucket. Carefullyresearched, and extremely well written, this early 19th centuryincident has been brought to life with exquisite descriptions. Notonly does Philbrick tell the long sad tale of the Essex's tragicsinking in 1820 and the sufferings of the few survivors who wereforced to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive, it is alsothe story of the whaling industry, the social and religious communityof Nantucket, and the influence this incident had on Herman Melvillein the writing of Moby Dick some 20 years after theevent.

Originally, it was thought that the diary of the first mate,Owen Chase, told the whole story. But in the 1980s, another documentwas found which was written by the cabin boy many years later and shedeven more light on what actually transpired. Interwoven in this storyare the details which make this book come alive.

With the eye of anovelist, the reader is brought to the town of Nantucket, watching theship make ready for its voyage, and making comments about the greencrew as they struggle to make a good impression as they raise theirsails. We meet the young boys as well as the seasoned crewmen andfeel their seasickness as the captain orders them to climb the masts.We feel the conflict in authority between the captain and the firstmate. We see the racial and religious hierarchy and the role of theAfrican American crewmen. Our muscles twitch as we read about thehard work on ship; our hearts race with a sense of adventure at thehunting and harpooning the whale; our nostrils crinkle as we readabout the process of killing, dismembering and extracting the valuableoil.

And then we are thrown into tragedy when a whale attacks theship and the twenty men are set adrift in small boats with fewprovisions. We cringe as we learn all the details about thebiological effects that depravation from food and water have on ahuman body. We get to know the crew as individuals and understand thehard choices they had to make. And then we see the rescue and wefollow the few survivors for the rest of their lives.

We also followthe voyage on the well drawn maps and scrutinize the photographs ofsome of the men, ships and woodcuts depicting the event. Then we readabout what happens when a whale dies on a Nantucket beach in 1994 andfind out how difficult it was to dispose of its remains.

After allof this, we are forever changed. We have a greater appreciation forthis small bit of American history and we are even more thankful forthe ease in which food is available to us.

Just as "MobyDick" has stood the test of time as a picture of the whalingindustry as well as a literary gem, "In the Heart of theSea" is destined to become THE authoritative book on the subject.Mr. Philbrick has done the world a favor by bringing this fascinatingsubject to light. I applaud his work and thank him for it. Highlyrecommended.

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Summary: Terrific retelling of a lost 19th century whaling tradegy!
Review: I have to admit I love naval stories, especially ones dealing with New England during the 19th century, so I might be a little bit biased, but this tale is one of the best I've read. It's an incredible true story of a Nantucket whaler that gets sunk by an enraged sperm whale, and the struggle for surival by its crew in the harsh open sea. The author does a masterful job of bringing you right into the boat with these men as they sail for land with primitive navagational tools and try to survive three months at sea with the meager rations they've saved from the Essex before it sunk. The author does a nice job weaving all the different narratives that have been written by the surviving crew members into a cohesive story that gives you many divergent views of the action. I also enjoyed learning some of the intricacies of sailing and whaling that the author brought forth in his book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in a great read.

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Summary: superb
Review: I really can't say anything bad about this book. Fascinating story, flawlessly written, a page turner. Philbrick's own love of Nantucket and whaling shines through.

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Summary: a great story well-told and well-researched
Review: This is a great nautical introduction for the landlubber. Philbrick does a great job of telling the straight story of Nantucket, of whaling, of this journey, of what happened to the men, and of what happened to their legend.

Philbrick especially does a great job of filling-in-the-blanks when the historical record is thin. When the men are adrift with minimal food for weeks, he uses WWII-era experiments to speculate what probably happened to the men's physiology and psychology. He interviews contemporary whale experts to evaluate the likelihood of the reputed whale behavior.

Overall, a great story well-told and well-researched, and deserving of the National Book Award. It inspired me to make a trip to the New Bedford Whaling museum!

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Summary: Makes Readers Ask, "What Would I Do?"
Review: 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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Summary: Tragic yet inspiring history
Review: In the Heart of the Sea was an extraordinary story about bravery, tragedy, and the heart of a small island off the coast of Massachusetts. Philbrick gives a wonderful description of early 19th-century Nantucket Island, providing a rich context for his recount of the tragedy of the whaleship Essex. Not only is this story one of adventure, and of great sadness, it is a unforgettable piece of history. Philbrick gives in-depth sketches of the men from the whaleship, allowing the readers to feel as if they know these men.

Superb story, wonderful writing... will not be forgotten.

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Summary: A Beautiful Book.
Review: Belongs on the shelf right next to your copy of Moby Dick. Maybe it should even replace Melville's weighty tome. I could never get through Moby Dick. I could barely even get started on it. But I'm a semi-idiot. In the Heart of the Sea kept me up all night, and left me with images that I suspect will remain with me for as long as I remain.