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This book is an historical account of the whaleship Essex which was the inspiration for Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick. The ensuing trip results in a harrowing account which involves fighting the realities of the open sea, starvation, unbearable thirst, and cannabalizing the remains of their deceased shipmates. The Essex left its home port in Massachusetts and about six months later was attacked by an angry sperm whale in the South Pacific and sank. Because of tales of cannabalism among the island natives, the surviving 20 crew members decided that their best shot at survival was to join their three life boats together in an attempt at a daunting 3,000+_mile trip to the coast of South America. In the end, only 8 men survive of the original 20.Author Philbrick recreates their story by piecing together information concerning the whaling industry of the time, accounts of attacks by whales as well as information concerning the beasts of the sea, and accounts handed down by the survivors. I thought this was a fascinating story that was very well done and enjoyed it thoroughly.
I thought this book was great. It is a quick read that keeps you interestd until the end. You feel like you are right there with the men on the boat as you read the hardships they had to endure. The most amazing part of the story is the fact it is true.
This is one of the best history books I have ever read. Although the story itself draws you into the lives and history of the whale ships of Nantucket, the author does a wonderful job giving you history and painting a picture of the lives of the men in the book. Some history books are so dense, you lose interest after a few chapters, but this one kept me reading late into the night.
This book tells an amazing story of human survival -- and the limits people will go beyond when they are pushed by desperation. When I started the book, I thought it would be more about life in the whaling industry in the 1800s, which would have been interesting on its own. But most of the book deals with the aftermath of the sinking of the Essex and how the crew struggled to survive in the South Pacific. It was a gripping read, as the crew sinks lower and lower into desperation.
This masterfully crafted account of the events surrounding the Essex disaster brings together the facinating story of an unprecendented natural event, the unthinkable disaster it caused, excruciating journey of survival on open water and salvation in its aftermath, all born of a tiny little island and the titanic industry it produced. This is unquestionably one of the best books I've read this year. I just put it down minutes ago after reading it nonstop for 4 days.and only because I had to go to work. That any of these men survived this unthinkable disaster is a treatise to the human spirit and will to live. Add this one to your required reading for the beach bag this summer.
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