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The title of my review says it all. I've ordered a lot of books from Amazon sellers, so I know how long it takes for a book to arrive. The book was in good enough shape, but it took weeks - weeks - to arrive.
The survivors of the sinking have to make sail with their tiny skiffs across half of the Pacific Ocean.The story is grim but incredible. A harrowing recount of a Nantucket whaleship's destruction in the Pacific, stoved in by an angry whale. The story inspired Melville to write Moby Dick, but's it's a gripping tale of survival all on its own. Philbrick wears his research lightly, although his work is thorough the research doesn't get in the way of telling the story well. It's a real window the lost world of the Nantucket whalers, their culture and life, as well as the story of men's behaviour when tested to the limits.
It may come in handy someday. His historical research and ability to portray events of resounding consequence in their contemporary contexts filled with very human characters is truly a gift. I love reading tales of survival and this book ranks at the top alongside Alfred Lansing's landmark work, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. I certainly flew through this book much faster than the Essex crew lived it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of survival. I didn't know what I was missing. I had no particular interest in whaling itself and so this book had remained on my periphery for some time.
Philbrick pulls back the veil on whaling history and of course the Essex' crew themselves revealing mesmerizing scenes. Drawing from first hand accounts the author weaves a solid, continuous narrative of tragedy and triumph that ranks among the greatest survival feats of all time. I have read a couple of Nathaniel Philbricks' other books (Sea of Glory, and Mayflower) and knew I was in for a treat. Pollard and First Mate Owen Chase. It may be tempting to think that reading about a group of men sailing, often just floating, on the ocean for months may tend to drag, but Philbrick's lens focuses us on both their outward deterioration and inward struggle, making the narrative a fascinating and disturbing spectacle. From the anxiety building up to the whale's attack, over thousands of miles of starvation inducing, dehydrating, storming, undulating sea, to the final desperate hours and conclusion you will be as glued to these pages as the crew was to their boats. This has sadly not been the case with some other titles I read recently. Also, I read this book on my Kindle and was delighted to find the illustrations still available.
This book is no different. In a closing note, this book is not for the faint of heart. The thirst and starvation the men of the Essex faced is painted in such graphic detail that I have found myself stopping to contemplate each meal for the last several days after finishing the book. The book also offers a good case study in leadership styles under emergent situations in its comparisons of Capt. The narrative contains gruesome scenes of both whale harvesting and cannibalism. Remember when you come to them the illustrations can be zoomed for better viewing.
This is the type of non-fiction book that reads like a fictional thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed this book about the sinking of the Essex, the story of which was the inspiration for Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Another strong point is that the author did not go on and on about certain superfluous details in a way that other authors in this genre tend to do. Apparently, the story of the Essex was well known at the time although not so much in modern times. The author does a wonderful job of drawing out the story from the original sources and presenting it in a compelling way. This book was just the right length to cover the story and do it justice. Highly recommended, especially for those with an interest in maritime history, survival, or just the sea itself.
There were some fascinating facts included in this book for people like myself (non-mariners). But it did impart some interesting knowledge and provide food for thought.There were too many author opinions (regarding discrimination and fates of the blacks aboard the Essex) not to mention all the irrelevant information (the sperm whale that washed up on Nantucket in the late 1990's). It took me three tries to read this book; I had nearly given up and the only thing that made me persevere was the book had been loaned to me by a friend and I was loathe to NOT finish reading it.
The code of "drawing lots" to see who will sacrifice themselves for the group; the lives of whalers and life in Nantucket during the whaling times; sperm whales as the source of energy (oil). Finally, 2 months later, I finished the book. who have never read Moby Dick.
The beginning of the book does not capture one's interest right away.I kept falling asleep. before the time of oil wells; the description of how a whale is parted out and the pecking order on a whaling ship. However.
Let's just say that the book is not of the "could not put it down" variety, at least for me. That is why I believe it only deserves 2 stars.
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