In the early 19th century, the people of the tiny island of Nantucket had a good thing going. At the center of the commercial whaling trade, Nantucket was a wealthy, vibrant community. But it was a success that came with more than a little danger, involving long sea voyages and epic struggles with the world's largest mammoth, the whale. The year is 1820, and a crew in distress hundreds of miles off the west coast of South America is on its own. It will be a long time before anyone on Nantucket wonders why the Essex hasn't come home.
Rescue is out of the question.
The crew, in three whaleboats, knows full well that survival depends on their ability to get somewhere, and to stay alive in the process. How they do that, of course, provides the dramatic pulse for this story. But this is far more than just a captivating story of men battling the sea, each other, their human failings, and often their own consciences. It is also a book that distills a huge body of historical research into a fascinating description of the New England whaling industry. By helping us to become mini-experts in the business of whaling and its impact on the island community, Philbrick helps to set us up to better appreciate the drama that is to come.