The Captain's Best Mate: The Journal of Mary Chipman Lawrence on the Whaler Addison, 1856-1860 [Paperback]

Mary Chipman. Lawrence (Author), Stanton Garner (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1986

The diary of a wife who, with their five-year old daughter, accompanied her husband on a three-and-a-half year whaling voyage.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

6 x 9 trim. 5 illus. 9 maps. LC 83-40018

Product Details

• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: UPNE; 1st edition (April 15, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874513669
• ISBN-13: 978-0874513660
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,595,049 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars What was it like to be on a whale ship in 1856, November 29, 2009

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This review is from: The Captain's Best Mate: The Journal of Mary Chipman Lawrence on the Whaler Addison, 1856-1860 (Paperback)

Did you ever wonder what it was like to be on a whale ship in the heyay of whaling in the 19th century? This story is the actual journal kept by Whaling Captain Samuel Lawrence's wife Mary who accompanied him for 3 1/2 years on the whaler Addison. Not only did Mary go on the voyage but the Lawrence's daughter, 5 year old Minnie also accompanied them. Mary talks about life and death on the whaler and all of their adventures. Long before the advent of radio, GPS, radar, and cell phones, sailors traveled from New England to the Pacific, Arctic and in between looking for whales. Did ships heave-to and row over to each other to share news and dinner? Yes they did. Did they go several years without catching one single whale? Yes they did. This is a wonderful book and I am sure you will learn things you never knew about whaling in the mid 1800's.