In the Heart of the Sea

From the author of Mayflower, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye--the riveting bestseller tells the story of the true events that inspired Melville's Moby-Dick. Winner of the National Book Award, Nathaniel Philbrick's book is a fantastic saga of survival and adventure, steeped in the lore of whaling, with deep resonance in American literature and history. In 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats. Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents and vivid details about the Nantucket whaling tradition to reveal the chilling facts of this infamous maritime disaster. In the Heart of the Sea, recently adapted into a major feature film starring Chris Hemsworth, is a book for the ages.

Nathaniel Philbrick is the author of In the Heart of the Sea, winner of the National Book Award; Mayflower, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Bunker Hill, Valiant Ambition; Sea of Glory; The Last Stand; Why Read Moby Dick?; and Away Off Shore. He lives in Nantucket.

In the Heart of the Sea - Nathaniel Philbrick Preface: February 23, 1821 Crew of the Essex Chapter One: Nantucket Chapter Two: Knockdown Chapter Three: First Blood Chapter Four: The Lees of Fire Chapter Five: The Attack Chapter Six: The Plan Chapter Seven: At Sea Chapter Eight: Centering Down Chapter Nine: The Island Chapter Ten: The Whisper of Necessity Chapter Eleven: Games of Chance Chapter Twelve: In the Eagle's Shadow Chapter Thirteen: Homecoming Chapter Fourteen: Consequences Epilogue: Bones Notes Select Bibliography Acknowledgments Index