A review by sparrowlight
The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea by Philip Hoare

4.0

The fact that I read this entire book while taking a course on Moby-Dick -- and it was not on the reading list -- is a testament not to my own reading interests, but to Hoare's masterful and engaging prose. He weaves extensive quotes about whaling, many from Melville, with personal anecdotes and reflections. Though he covered a wide range of territory, from the history of hunting whales to contemporary whale-watching expeditions, he handles each angle with grace and beautiful prose.