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In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex Paperback – May 1, 2001

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Nathaniel Philbrick (Author)
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Nathaniel Philbrick (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 1,147 customer reviews
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 302 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books; Reissue edition (May 1, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0141001828
  • ISBN-13: 978-0141001821
  • Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.9 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,147 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA gripping story of men lost at sea
By Robert Oliver on May 26, 2000
Format: Hardcover
There have been many great stories of survival and tragedy on the seas, and this book is one of the best of them. At one time the story of the Whaleship Essex was well known in America, but gradually that story faded into memory. Nathaniel Philbrick brings that memory back to life again with his very well written book. The main events in this book took place in the time period of 1819-1821. The Essex was based on Nantucket Island, and in the first part of the book there is a very interesting history of Nantucket and the Whaling Trade. Enough information is given so that we understand the world that the men of the Essex lived in, and the ordeal that lay before them. The Essex was believed to be a lucky ship, but that reputation of good luck would soon be overwhelmed at sea. After several months at sea, the Essex was attacked and rammed by an eighty-five foot whale. It is fascinating to read about the attack of the giant whale on the ship, and to realize that the attacking whale was the actual basis for the whale in "Moby Dick". The Essex was severely damaged and in danger of sinking after the whale attack, and the crew faced the grim prospect of a desperate journey in open boats across the Pacific Ocean. The story of their battle for survival with little food or hope of rescue will grip your heart. Terrible choices of survival had to be made, and there are graphic accounts of starvation and cannibalism in the book. This is truly the story of a great tragedy at sea, but there is also the hope and endurance that can sometimes be found even in the darkest moments. There are moments of wonder with thoughts and descriptions of whales and the ever changing sea. I recommend this book to everyone that loves the history of the Sea, and the spirit of survival against all odds.
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5.0 out of 5 starsHarrowingtale of survival
By Richard S. Sullivan on June 17, 2000
Format: Hardcover
In 1819 the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by a very large sperm whale. The ship sank and the crew was forced to sail across thousands of miles of the Pacific ocean fighting thirst and starvation. This was the story that inspired Melville's Moby Dick. It is absorbing, well researched, and reads like a good adventure novel, only it is true. It is elegant from start to finish and I say elegant because of its restraint. Philbrick had every chance to play this one for the bleacher seats, but didn't.
We could have gotten a long saga of castaways dying of thirst and starvation with all of the drama of a potboiler. He could have given us a day by day description of the sea trek, but instead the trek is mercifully taken up in 90 pages. (Don't fret, you will get the anxiety wobblies during this phase of the book.) Philbrick has fully researched the physiology of dying of starvation and thirst and spares us none of the details. To survive, the crew resorted to the drawing of lots, execution and cannibalism. We learn about the history, quite plentiful in fact, of survival cannibalism from the Raft of the Medusa to the Andean plane crash. It is not a book for the squeamish.
It is also a book about Nantucket, whaling, men at sea, celestial navigation, maritime commerce, and more. Never are the facts crammed down us like so many notecards in the author's collection, but are deliciously laid out in the context of the story. It is not a long book, but it doesn't seem to short either. Like most good books, it made me want to learn more about the subject, in this case the fascinating history of whaling.
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4.0 out of 5 starsGreat book that can be enjoyed several ways.
By taking a rest HALL OF FAME on May 8, 2000
Format: Hardcover
All too often a book telling a story may also require that the equipment or the vessel used to be described. Much less frequent is the help of illustrations to let a reader who may know little to nothing about the construction (in this case) of a Whaling Vessel, understand the explanations and gain further enjoyment from the book. A further tribute to the Author is that the detail given of the ship The Essex and the implements of the Whaling Trade were of an appropriate length. Too long and the reader would have been lost in a maze of technical jargon, too little and understanding all that happened would not have been possible.
For anyone desirous of going much deeper into the History of Nantucket, or of Whaling, there are 39 pages of notes written in prose form at the end of the book. They are organized by chapter, and they are further supplemented by a Bibliography.
Mr. Philbrick clearly is a man qualified to relate this tale which records one of the more miserable tales of human suffering. It would have been easy and disappointing to let this story turn into a lurid 93 day telling of decisions and actions that no person should ever be forced to make. The Author maintained a scholarly approach, together with objectivity on some points of contention/speculation, of the events and how they may or may not actually have happened. He also offers insight into how these massive creatures communicate, and how that could have played a role in the collission.
The Author also relates modern day medical study and facts about what physical and emotional torments the survivors endured. I thought this was a welcome addition to the understanding of just how horrible this experience was.
This is the only book I have read on the History of the Essex. The book is readable even if your knowledge of ships, like mine, is near zero. And the story told without embellishment is both terrifying and amazing.
A very enjoyable book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Such an amazing story. Highly recommended

Published 2 hours ago by aRN
5.0 out of 5 starsBe filled with awe & wonder...read this‼️

I debated book or movie...sorry, Ron, I went for the book. Based on watching the trailer, I'm very happy that I read the book first. I may watch the movie at a later date... Read more

Published 1 day ago by R. Ewing
4.0 out of 5 starsHistorical fiction at it's best

Little gruesome and some parts stays with me too long but very good. Life was hard in those days probably harder than words can describe.

Published 1 day ago by book worm
4.0 out of 5 starsIn the Heart of the Sea

More of a 'docubook' than story, the book gives a lot of facts and details. Well researched, i found it interesting but not the 'pageturner' that i hoped for. Read more

Published 3 days ago by Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars... a lesson in history of what whaling was really like.

Truly a lesson in history of what whaling was really like.

Published 5 days ago by Janet Rowland
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

exciting

Published 5 days ago by ollientn
5.0 out of 5 starsWe have family lineage that takes us back to 1905 when my great...

Riveting! Exceptionally well researched and written. I'm especially interested in anything about the sea and particularly about the early whaling industry. Read more

Published 6 days ago by Ingeborg Adie
5.0 out of 5 starsVery interesting account of the true story behind Moby Dick

Not normally the sort of book I'd read but it was for my book club. Had always thought the Moby Dick story was for boys. Read more

Published 6 days ago by Carol Budd
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Saw the movie read the book

Published 6 days ago by sabra
2.0 out of 5 starsnot an uplifter

became fairly tedious and painful after everybody started starving and dying

Published 7 days ago by Raymond J. Fitzgibbon

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