Rating: 
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!
Rating:
Summary: Historical reality of the whaling industry brought to life
Review: Subtitled "The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" and published
in 2000 to critical acclaim, this true story was written by Nathaniel
Philbrick, a leading authority on the history of Nantucket. Carefully
researched, and extremely well written, this early 19th century
incident has been brought to life with exquisite descriptions. Not
only does Philbrick tell the long sad tale of the Essex's tragic
sinking in 1820 and the sufferings of the few survivors who were
forced to resort to cannibalism in order to stay alive, it is also
the story of the whaling industry, the social and religious community
of Nantucket, and the influence this incident had on Herman Melville
in the writing of Moby Dick some 20 years after the
event. Originally, it was thought that the diary of the first mate,
Owen Chase, told the whole story. But in the 1980s, another document
was found which was written by the cabin boy many years later and shed
even more light on what actually transpired. Interwoven in this story
are the details which make this book come alive. With the eye of a
novelist, the reader is brought to the town of Nantucket, watching the
ship make ready for its voyage, and making comments about the green
crew as they struggle to make a good impression as they raise their
sails. We meet the young boys as well as the seasoned crewmen and
feel their seasickness as the captain orders them to climb the masts.
We feel the conflict in authority between the captain and the first
mate. We see the racial and religious hierarchy and the role of the
African American crewmen. Our muscles twitch as we read about the
hard work on ship; our hearts race with a sense of adventure at the
hunting and harpooning the whale; our nostrils crinkle as we read
about the process of killing, dismembering and extracting the valuable
oil. And then we are thrown into tragedy when a whale attacks the
ship and the twenty men are set adrift in small boats with few
provisions. We cringe as we learn all the details about the
biological effects that depravation from food and water have on a
human body. We get to know the crew as individuals and understand the
hard choices they had to make. And then we see the rescue and we
follow the few survivors for the rest of their lives. We also follow
the voyage on the well drawn maps and scrutinize the photographs of
some of the men, ships and woodcuts depicting the event. Then we read
about what happens when a whale dies on a Nantucket beach in 1994 and
find out how difficult it was to dispose of its remains. After all
of this, we are forever changed. We have a greater appreciation for
this small bit of American history and we are even more thankful for
the ease in which food is available to us. Just as "Moby
Dick" has stood the test of time as a picture of the whaling
industry as well as a literary gem, "In the Heart of the
Sea" is destined to become THE authoritative book on the subject.
Mr. Philbrick has done the world a favor by bringing this fascinating
subject to light. I applaud his work and thank him for it. Highly
recommended.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic.
Review: Highly recommended. Philbrick's research is boiled down to 300 pages that are interesting historically and scientifically, yet fun!
Rating:
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!
Rating:
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.
Rating:
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.
Rating:
Summary: Starts slow but really turns into a gripping read
Review: In the Heart of the Sea brings to life early nineteenth century Nantucket and makes it have an impact in our modern world. Upon first glance, I felt as if there would no way for me to connect to these men of a bygone era, but reading their harrowing tale, and seeing the way in which they reacted to the trying circumstances they were caught in, turned this nonfiction account into a real page turner. Philbrick did a wonderful job of making his book read like a best selling thriller, while at the same time keeping the story in perspective, and showing to the reader how all pervasive it was to those who spent their live's in Nantucket. I would advise anyone about to embark upon a study of Melleville's Moby Dick to read this first so they can gain a true perspective on whaling in Nineteenth century America. The only place where Mr. Philbrick's book may have been lacking is in it's conclusion where I think more could have been said about the psychological ramifications of what happened to the crewman of the whaleship Essex. All in all though, In the Heart of the Sea is a harrowing fast paced tale that is sure to remain in the mind's of all those who read it.
| 
