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| In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex | 
 enlarge | Author: Nathaniel Philbrick
Publisher: Viking Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $3.90
You Save: $21.05 (84%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $3.90
Avg. Customer Rating:  (284 reviews)
Sales Rank: 44833
Format: Bargain Price
Language: English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6 x 1.2
Dewey Decimal Number: 910.9164
ASIN: B0016BSWAW
Publication Date: May 8, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 in the heart of the sea August 4, 2008
this is one of the finest books i've ever read. the story is fabulous and the author's delivery is perfect. however, it is VERY graphic. the content can be extremely disturbing if you are not interested in the worst events any human can experience. it is told from the perspective of the survivors.
 Well Done July 15, 2008
Philbrick is a good writer. Sometimes I felt pulled between the history of Nantucket, an inside look into whaling and the story of the Essex. Each is interesting and deserves its own book. The story of the Essex is incredibly powerful, and I feel that Philbrick treated the terrible survival struggles of the crew at an arm's length. The details were there, just not the emotion. He came close, but this story - with the struggle, errors of judgment, tragedy and cannibalism, had the potential to stand with the classic tales of Bly or Shackleton, but this telling didn't quite deliver.
Whaling Might Not be the Way to Go July 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you are considering changing carrers to become a nineteenth century whaler, you might want to read this book about whaling, tragedy. cannibalism, and survivial. It has it all. Philbrick has done an excellent job telling the story of the doomed whaler, Essex. It's story is supposedly what Melville based Moby Dick on. It is a page turner. The author brings into the story other old and new survival tales and does a great job keeping the reader involved. The good news is that it is a great book. The bad news is that you might want to reconsider any plans you might be entertaining to buy a harpoon and become a whaler.
Captivating Story of Tragedy and Survival June 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Nathaniel Philbrick's history of the whaleship Essex builds on First mate Owen Chase's account of the tragedy; he adds the perspective of cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, written over 50 years after the actual events. Few sources are available, and scholarship-wise, this story is only beginning to be told. To contradict the author's statement, this is an amazing adventure story, made more astounding because its true. Philbrick also includes plenty of background to aid in comprehension by modern readers with no prior knowledge of whaling, especially the eccentricities of early 19th century Nantucket. This author seems well-qualified in this regard. This book is an informative and entertaining blend of the tragedy of the Essex, background, possible motivating factors, and subsequent developments.
It is a curious footnote to history that this story was well-known during the 19th century but almost forgotten today, much like the history of the whaling industry and sea voyages in general. No embellishment nor hindsight moralizing is necessary, nor does Philbrick force any. He is a tactful author, and the facts as much as we know them are more than enough to provide a thrilling tale. This is the way that history should be written; its an absorbing read, framed in the context of historical development. It is neither too difficult for a novice, nor too elementary for the well-versed.
A whale of a story April 29, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
A great story! So many things about the whaling industry and Nantucket that I didn't know about made this book all the more enjoyable. Some of the scenes described after the shipwreck made my skin crawl and I wonder...what would any of us do if in a similar situation?
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