Hunting Neptune'S Giants [Library Binding]

Catherine Gourley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1995 | Age Level: 9 and up

Authentic archival material preserved at The Mystic Seaport Museum helps children experience the lives of those involved in the American whaling industry.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7?Using excerpts from the writings of the whalers themselves (and some of their sea-going wives), Gourley sketches a clear picture of life and work aboard American whaling ships during their heyday. The sometimes lengthy quotes add interest and color to the presentation. The details of the hunting, harpooning, and processing of the whales are clearly laid out, along with a description of who went whaling, why, and how they lived at sea. Black-and-white and full-color photographs, prints, and paintings appear throughout. Carol Carrick's Whaling Days (Clarion, 1993) covers similar ground for a slightly younger audience. While its bold woodcuts are more lively, they are less informative than Gourley's illustrations, and Carrick's book lacks the immediacy provided by Gourley's use of primary-source material. Elizabeth Gemming's Blow Ye Winds Westerly (Crowell, 1972; o.p.) contains substantial information on the subject for older students. Gourley's book will be especially welcome where whaling is included in the curriculum.?Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-8. If you think whaling isn't interesting, think again. Gourley, in association with Mystic Seaport Museum, dredges up enough fascinating information about the once vital American industry to satisfy almost anybody--using the words of the whalers themselves to do it. Excerpts from diaries and books, most written during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, are the heart of her presentation, and her excellent connecting commentary is delivered with flair and enthusiasm. The men and women whose words flow across the pages tell of excitement, hardship, and horror at sea--the drama and viciousness of the kill, the harsh treatment, the poor conditions, the disillusionment. They also speak of adventure and camaraderie. The cover is rather drab, but the format is inviting, with lots of white space and attractive placement of headings and illustrations. Reproductions of lithographs and period photos add interest, and Gourley uses the margin for definitions of odd terms that appear in the first-person accounts. There's not enough frame of reference for the description of the "Cruise of the Portuguese Princess," the last part of the book, but apart from that, this is a engaging, exceptionally well-designed look at a vital part of maritime history. A bibliography and sources of further information are appended. Stephanie Zvirin

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: Millbrook Press (October 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1562945343
• ISBN-13: 978-1562945343
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,629,074 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Visit Cathy at www.catherinegourley.com!!

I write social histories--stories about ordinary people who find themselves, usually by choice, in extraordinary circumstances. My latest book explores a grim chapter in American history--the Andersonville Civil War Prison Camp. More often, however, I write about women's history through the lens of media and popular culture. When I'm not writing nonfiction books for young adults, I am managing Letters About Literature, a reading and writing promotion program of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress or watching old movies. I am the principal curriculum writer for The Story of Movies, an educaitonal outreach program of Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation. I grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, but I have lived along the Gulf Coast of Texas, Chicago, a tiny town in Western Pennsylvania on the edge of Elk Forest, Connecticut . . . well, in short, I move around a lot. Right now home is Woodbridge, Virginia.