Nathaniel Philbrick

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. This story reveals the encounter's harrowing aftermath, as the ship's surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive.

In 1820, the Nantucket whaleship "Essex", thousands of miles from home in the South Pacific, was rammed by an angry sperm whale. The ship sank, leaving 20 crew members floating in three small boats. The incident provided the inspiration for Melville's masterpiece, "Moby Dick". A riveting tale of history and true-life adventure, this classic edition combines first-person narratives of the doomed voyage of the whaleship with every relevant contemporary...

An intimate look at the world's obsession with Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the "Great American Novel." Historians, artists, philosophers and fanatics explore the artistic and cultural legacy the novel has had throughout American history.

In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real-life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. But that told only half the story. This story reveals the encounter's harrowing aftermath, as the ship's surviving crew is pushed to their limits and forced to do the unthinkable to stay alive.