Sheila M. (Page5) reviewed on 4/28/2009

Helpful Score: 2

I found this book to be captivating, suspenseful, and heartbreaking. It is a detailed account of the whaleship Essex, its crew, and the Nantucket whaling industry of the early 1800s. In the South Pacific in 1820, the Essex was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale. The crew took refuge in three small boats and struggled to survive until they were rescued three months later. What happened to the Essex was the basis for Melvilles Moby Dick.

Excellent research and writing.

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