In the Heart of the Sea - wikipedia In the Heart of the Sea For the film adaptation, see In the Heart of the Sea ( film ). In the Heart of the Sea Hardcover edition Author Nathaniel Philbrick Country United States Language English Subject New England, whaling Genre History Publisher Viking Press Publication date May 8, 2000 Media type Print, e-book Pages 320 pp. ISBN 0 - 670 - 89157 - 6 OCLC 608132810 The Essex struck by a whale -- a sketch by Thomas Nickerson In the Heart of the Sea : The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the whaler Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The book was published by Viking Press on May 8, 2000, and won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction. It was adapted into a film of the same name, which came out in late 2015. Contents 1 Summary 2 Reception 3 Film adaptation 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Summary The Essex, an American whaleship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, sank after a sperm whale attacked it in the Pacific Ocean in November 1820. Having lost their ship, the crew of the Essex attempted to sail to South America in whaleboats. After suffering from starvation and dehydration, most of the crew died before the survivors were rescued in February 1821. In retelling the story of the crew 's ordeal, Philbrick utilizes an account written by Thomas Nickerson, who was a teenage cabin boy on board the Essex and wrote about the experience in his old age ; his account was lost until 1960 but was not authenticated until 1980 before being published, abridged, in 1984. The book also utilizes the better known account of Owen Chase, the ship 's first mate, which was published soon after the ordeal. Reception In the Heart of the Sea won the 2000 U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction. Film adaptation Main article : In the Heart of the Sea ( film ) The story was adapted into a feature film by director Ron Howard, starring Chris Hemsworth, Ben Whishaw, and Cillian Murphy. Advertising for the film points out that the historical story inspired the Moby Dick mythology. The film was scheduled for release in the US on December 11, 2015, but was released in major markets like Brazil, Russia, India and 37 other countries, as well as parts of the US, on December 3, 2015 to avoid competition from Star Wars : The Force Awakens. See also Ann Alexander, a ship sunk by a whale on August 20, 1851 References Jump up ^ Philbrick, Nathaniel ( 2001 ). In the Heart of the Sea : The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. Penguin Books. pp. xiv -- xv. ISBN 0 - 14 - 100182 - 8. Jump up ^ `` National Book Awards -- 2000 ''. National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2012 - 02 - 20. Jump up ^ Browne, Julie ( 29 October 2013 ). `` Cillian Murphy 's ' Peaky Blinders ' Renewed for a Second Season ''. The Irish Film & Television Network. Jump up ^ `` In the Heart of the Sea - Final Trailer ( HD ) ''. Warner Bros. Pictures & Youtube.com. 1 November 2015. Retrieved 6 November 2015. In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe : a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The real - life maritime disaster would inspire Herman Melville 's Moby - Dick. But that told only half the story. External links In the Heart of the Sea - Official Teaser Trailer on YouTube Herman Melville 's Moby - Dick ( 1851 ) Characters Captain Ahab Ishmael Moby Dick Queequeg Father Mapple Ships Pequod Special subjects Cetology Fast - Fish and Loose - Fish Adaptations Film The Sea Beast ( 1926 ) Moby Dick ( 1930 ) Moby Dick ( 1956 ) Moby Dick ( 1971 ) Moby Dick ( 1978 ) Moby Dick ( 2010 ) Television Hakugei : Legend of the Moby Dick ( 1997 ) Moby Dick ( 1998 ) Moby Dick ( 2011 ) Stage Moby Dick -- Rehearsed ( 1955 ) Moby Dick ( 1990 musical ) Moby - Dick ( 2010 opera ) Other Age of the Dragons The Call of the Wretched Sea Capitaine Achab Dopey Dick the Pink Whale Dicky Moe Leviathan `` Möbius Dick '' Moby Dick and Mighty Mightor Railsea Related Moby Dick Coin Essex ( whaleship ) In the Heart of the Sea ( book ) In the Heart of the Sea Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_the_Heart_of_the_Sea&oldid=781531102 '' Categories : 2000 books Ambassador Book Award - winning works Books adapted into films National Book Award for Nonfiction winning works Non-fiction books about cannibalism Viking Press books History books about shipwrecks Hidden categories : Pages to import images to Wikidata All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Português ไทย Edit links This page was last edited on 21 May 2017, at 19 : 52. About Wikipedia

Question: who wrote in the heart of the sea
Answer: Nathaniel Philbrick