In the Heart of the Sea – The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick
I read this book a couple of months ago and it had me reading until 2am because I had a hard time putting it down. I found this book to be captivating, suspenseful, and heartbreaking. It is a detailed account of the whaleship Essex, its crew, and the Nantucket whaling industry of the early 1800s. In the South Pacific in 1820, the Essex was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale. The crew took refuge in three small boats and struggled to survive until they were rescued three months later. What happened to the Essex was the basis for Melville’s Moby Dick. One ship does resort to cannibalism so if you are squeamish, you may want to take a pass on this one.
Could not agree more! I read it several years ago on the recommendation of my son-in-law who is a native of Nantucket. Didn't you sens the voyage was doomed when they couldn't even get out of Nantucket Harbor? I couldn't put it down. The author has a new book out about the Mayflower. At least we know that most of those folks made it across the ocean!
