From the author of Mayflower, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye--the riveting bestseller tells the story of the true events that inspired Melville's Moby-Dick.
Winner of the National Book Award, Nathaniel Philbrick's book is a fantastic saga of survival and adventure, steeped in the lore of whaling, with deep resonance in American literature and history.
In 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats. Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents and vivid details about the Nantucket whaling tradition to reveal the chilling facts of this infamous maritime disaster. In the Heart of the Sea, recently adapted into a major feature film starring Chris Hemsworth, is a book for the ages.
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In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (National Book Award Winner)
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In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex (National Book Award Winner)
A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the Century
"Fascinating...One of our country's great adventure stories...when it comes to extremes, In the Heart of the Sea is right there."—The Wall Street Journal
"A book that gets in your bones...Philbrick has created an eerie thriller from a centuries old tale....Scrupulously researched and eloquently written...it would have earned Melville's admiration."—The New York Times Book Review
"Spellbinding."—Time
"[Told] with verve and authenticity...a classic tale of the sea."—San Francisco Chronicle
"Nathaniel Philbrick has taken one of the most horrifying stories in maritime history and turned it into a classic....One of the most chilling books I have ever read."—Sebastian Junger, author of The Perfect Storm
Overall rating: 4.5 / 5 from 6 reviews.
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Reviews
Amazing
"I was locked into this book from the beginning. Hearing about it from Mike Rowe describing it in an interview i knew what was coming but oh my goodness- amazing. What a wild time that would have been to be alive and living on Nantucket Island or even on the ship!! Finished reading it in 3 days (and that's worth 2 toddlers at home, so reading is always interrupted)."
— Homeschooling2 (5/5)
Amazing!
"I usually am not a fan of non-ficton books, but this book was riviting in it's telling of the event of the Essex all mixed in with amazing research and scientific explanations that help you understand better what is going on! I loved it! #plumreview"
— Manon (5/5)
Great read!
"In 1820 the whale ship Essex was rammed by a whale and sank. This much is true. The author has pieced together historical facts to create a mesmerizing tale that has now been turned into a movie. Beyond the story, what I got from this book was a detailed description of whaling in the 19th century. Absolutely fascinating! #plumreview"
— HappyMommy (5/5)
Almost but not quite great
"An almost interesting account of the sinking of the whaleship Essex. An interesting look into the day to day life of whalers and the process of hunting whales but missed the mark on making me care about the men in the boat and their ultimate fates. 3/5"
— Anonymous (3/5)
I could not put this down
"As a huge fan of Moby Dick I just had to read the REAL story. I read this LONG before the movie came out . Right away this became one of my favorite all time books. IF you like books about human struggle and survival you have to read this. Its a dark tail of how everything can go wrong at any moment. I couldnt stop reading it."
— Steve (5/5)
A whale of a time.
"Good overview of like as a whaleman would have been. Neat to read the story behind one of my favourite stories."
— Jackie (4/5)
Q&A
Published date: May 03, 2001
Language: English
No. of Pages: 336
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780141001821
Dimensions:
5.35" W x
0.93" L x
7.95" H
Nathaniel Philbrick is the author of In the Heart of the Sea, winner of the National Book Award; Mayflower, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Bunker Hill, Valiant Ambition; Sea of Glory; The Last Stand; Why Read Moby Dick?; and Away Off Shore. He lives in Nantucket.
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