astarnes's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful mix of historical context and narrative. Fascinating story. Makes me want to read everything else by the author, and Moby Dick somehow.
We listened on the road to the beach and it was perfect. Audible narrator is excellent as well.
We listened on the road to the beach and it was perfect. Audible narrator is excellent as well.
dragnfary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism
bibliomaniac33's review against another edition
5.0
This was a very enjoyable, informative telling of the whale ship Essex and then the lives of the surviving sailors after the sinking. It also includes bits about Melville's fascination and research on the wreck for his book, Moby Dick. If anything convinces me to finally give Moby Dick a run, this book would be it. This is a great example of readable, engaging non-fiction. Definitely would recommend to anyone with an interest.
ktxx22's review against another edition
4.0
Very knowledgeable. A whole story from all sides. It was both terrifying, and depressing but this was a different time and man was so horrible to nature and its creatures.
codeanders's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
The story of a whaling disaster that inspired Moby-Dick, this really is a tragedy through and through. All along, decisions were made, likely with good intentions in mind, that laid the path that left two thirds of the crew dead.
This book feels like it was written further back than 2000, but that works with the general feel and era of the subject matter. I never knew whaling was quite so disgusting, and the author doesn't spare details of just how bad the situation got for the men in the boats. He also shines a light on how the crew's (and officers' in particular) racism and xenophobia turned them away from a much safer path to salvation in the Pacific Islands (they were afraid of cannibals, which ended up terribly ironic), and how the black men on the ship were the first to die, one by one, while all the survivors were white.
I do wish all the maps and diagrams had been right at the front, as I found them annoying to locate every time I wanted to reference something, or I didn't even realize they existed until after I had needed them.
This book feels like it was written further back than 2000, but that works with the general feel and era of the subject matter. I never knew whaling was quite so disgusting, and the author doesn't spare details of just how bad the situation got for the men in the boats. He also shines a light on how the crew's (and officers' in particular) racism and xenophobia turned them away from a much safer path to salvation in the Pacific Islands (they were afraid of cannibals, which ended up terribly ironic), and how the black men on the ship were the first to die, one by one, while all the survivors were white.
I do wish all the maps and diagrams had been right at the front, as I found them annoying to locate every time I wanted to reference something, or I didn't even realize they existed until after I had needed them.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was an absolutely fascinating about the whaleship Essex, which was sunk by a whale and all men aboard were stranded at sea for three months. It's based largely on accounts by two survivors, the first mate who published a book shortly after their rescue and the cabin boy, who wrote his story and left it in an attack where it was discovered over a hundred years later.
This book is absolutely brutal and very descriptive of the more harrowing moments, including the cannibalism, so I would definitely keep that in mind if you're interested in this book. But it was well worth the read. I thought it was fantastic.
This book is absolutely brutal and very descriptive of the more harrowing moments, including the cannibalism, so I would definitely keep that in mind if you're interested in this book. But it was well worth the read. I thought it was fantastic.
cj_lovesbooks's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Ok so clearly I am a sucker for true tales of shipwreck and survival. The story pulls you in as you anxiously await tragedy to befall. And once it does, you are useless in preventing any suffering.