Hi Everyone – I was just talking about In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick with a work friend and thought I’d share this post from 2014, an actual account of a whaling ship in the 1800s, an event that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby Dick.
In the Heart of the Sea
by
Nathaniel Philbrick
Rating:
I had a general idea about what life as a whaleman was like in the 1800s. Things were a lot harder for everyone back then, so in my mind, I added the risk of being on a ship in the high seas and trying to harpoon a huge whale while standing in an open row boat.
That sounds hard enough, but after reading In the Heart of the Sea, by Nathaniel Philbrick, I came to understand that while whaling was a lucrative enterprise for the ship owners, captains and officers, it was also a seriously dangerous business for everyone on the ship. Nantucket whalers were out at sea for long periods of time, and once the whaling business had exhausted the local supply of sperm whales, ships had to sail all the way around South America and into the…
View original post 593 more words
Book Club Mom 
Awesome review. Sounds like a grim story. I loved Moby Dick, but I’m not sure I can stomach a real-life disaster like this. Ei-yi-yi, cannibalism!
Hi Priscilla – thank you for reading and commenting. It was pretty terrible what those whalers went through. I’ve always liked survivor stories, and Nathaniel Philbrick is a great writer.
Great review, Barbara. So, will you get into the ocean again? 😉
Oh yes, but I admit I’m a little afraid of sharks and riptides 😉
I loved his Mayflower! I need to read this one, too.
Yes, Mayflower was excellent. He’s written others too and I want to pick up another. Thanks for the visit 🙂
I’d really like to read this book – I’m so glad you re-posted your review! It sounds fascinating.
Hi Lisa, I highly recommend it. I think it would be a great book club book. Thanks for the visit 🙂
My heart was racing by the review alone! 😀
I’ll be watching the movie tomorrow, and I’m excited. Thank you for visiting and commenting, Donna 🙂
Fantastic review, Barbara, and I’ll admire the ocean from the sandy shore. 🙂
Ah yes, I’m always drawn to boat stories, Lauren. I spent a lot of time boating when I was a girl. Not so much now – I’ve lost my sea legs 😉