As Melville wrote in Moby-Dick: “Thus have these. From the mid-1700s to the late 1830s, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world. Geoffrey and Elizabeth Thayer Verney Fellowshipįrom the late 1600s-when Nantucketers first gleaned the prized oil from small whales that washed ashore-into the next two centuries -when Nantucket whaleships would traverse the oceans of the world on their legendary three-, four-, and five-year voyages in search of “greasy luck”-the pursuit of whales and their lucrative by-products became the primary business of Nantucket and the basis of its economy. Private Events Make your Event Historic!.Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex. Overall, this book was a very good read and historical reader’s will really appreciate the author and his story. I would recommend this book to the age group of late teens to the end of life because of the intense situations these men were put through. Anyone who enjoys grand literature will greatly appreciate the way the author captivates your attention and takes you into the story as though you are feeling the same as the characters. Non-fiction literature has never been an interest of mine, but the way Philbrick writes this story is so monumental that it disguises the genre completely. I personally enjoy reading a great deal of historical literature and that is what I primarily stick to. I am a freshman at Lake Highschool and I have read many books for projects, assignments, and for my own enjoyment. Philbrick wrote this book admirably, however this book is not for every reader. He took such a strong story and executed it exquisitely. The way the author describes the characters and the harsh environment these men were forced to live through is astonishing. At only twenty two years old, Chase had already mastered everything he needed to know about performing Pollard’s role. He was extremely hard on the other men and was Captain George Pollard, Jr.’s biggest threat aboard the ship. Philbrick describes Owen Chase as a very successful sailor who is well qualified for every position he is given. Only two months before he went on his voyage, he married nineteen year old Mary Riddell. is twenty eight years old and in the past four years, he has spent seven months aboard The Essex as second mate, then first mate. He is forced to grow up very quickly and then put into a situation that grown men can hardly handle. The author informs through his writing that Thomas Nickerson is a very head strong fourteen year old boy who learns very quickly that he has no one to protect him through his time on The Essex. Philbrick mentions Thomas Nickerson, Captain George Pollard, Jr., and Owen Chase very frequently throughout the book. The way Philbrick writes these characters makes it very clear to the reader how this person would behave and gives them an insight as to how they cope with such situations. The intricate style of his writing makes it effortless to identify the scenery and the characters. Through this, the author opens the reader’s mind and puts them into the perspective of the men’s living situation in the time they spent aboard The Essex. ’lack and ugly as she was’, Nickerson wrote.” (1). Philbrick describes it as, “The hot July sun beat down on the old, oil-soaked ship until the temperature below was infernal, but Nickerson explored every cranny. This exhilarating story takes place aboard The Essex. Only eight of the twenty one men survived this appalling crisis. In three months, two boats were extricated off of the coast of South America. These twenty one men found themselves stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in three leaky boats and little to no supplies that lead to death of starvation and horrible acts among the men. Instead they had a year and a half filled with near-catastrophes. This book is about a crew of twenty one daring men who all expected a routine voyage. This non-fictional novel is based off of the great story of Moby Dick. "Revenge of the Whale" by Nathaniel Philbrick is a compelling story written with great passion and detail. "Revenge of the Whale": A Strong Story of a Ghastly CalamityĮven the stoic Chase could not help but wonder at how ‘we looked upon our shattered and sunken vessel with such an excessive fondness and regret…t seemed as if abandoning her we had parted with all hope.’ The men exchanged frightened glances, even as they continued to search out the disappearing wreck, ‘as though,’ Nickerson said, ‘it were possible that she could relieve us from the fate that seemed to await us.’ (Philbrick 64)
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |