Title: The lost fleet : a Yankee whaler's struggle against the Confederate Navy and Arctic disaster /
Authors: Songini, Marc L.
Publisher: St. Martin's Press,
Year: 2007
Subjects: Williams, Thomas W.; Whaling United States History.; Whalers (Persons) United States History.; Whaling Arctic Ocean History.
Abstract: "It's the mid-nineteenth century and the American whaling fleet, the wonder and envy of the maritime nations of the world, is struck by one hammer blow after another. Yankee whalers are contending with icebergs, storms, rogue whales, sharks, hostile natives, and disease. Now conditions are getting even worse, and the chances become ever slimmer that a whaling master and his crew will return from a voyage safe and profitable. The scarcity of whales, the increasing dangers of going farther into the Arctic, and the roving Confederate privateers are making this already difficult profession ever riskier. Many whalers give up the life - but some carry on the vocation." "One such man is a tall captain from Wethersfield, Connecticut, Thomas William Williams. Not only does he go out on voyage after voyage, but he even takes on board with him his tiny wife, Eliza, and his infant son and daughter." "The Lost Fleet's narrative recounts Williams's remarkable career, including a daring escape from the Confederate cruiser Alabama and a daring rescue and salvage of lost ships off Alaska's coast."--BOOK JACKET.
Contents: Book One: Brave men, braver women -- Lonely but not alone -- A Lighthouse Keeper -- In wild and distant seas -- Journey's End -- Book Two: The first iron -- The Daring Fishermen of New England -- Old Rodney -- An Indifferent Screw Steamer -- A Pirate Deed -- Like pursuing a coy Maiden -- The Other "Alabama" -- Come on my Deck and Fight me -- Terrible Havoc -- Book three: Finding the life -- Idle Wharves and dismasted Ships -- Death stared us in the Face -- In the topmost frost killed end of Creation -- How many will see the last day of Next August? -- The most crushing Blow -- Book Four: Rolling out the Fin -- Enough to fill a Book -- Appreciable Deterioration -- Looking for a modern Joshua -- A dreary and Uncertain March -- Epilogue: The Clear eyed men of the sea.