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Final Voyage: A Story of Arctic Disaster and One Fateful Whaling Season Audiobook
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(3.08) - 25 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In 1871, an entire fleet of whaling ships was caught in an arctic ice storm and destroyed. Though few lives were lost, the damage would forever shape one of America's most distinctive commodities: oil.
New Bedford, Massachusetts, was fertile ground for this country's first multimillion-dollar industry. Founded by assiduous Quaker merchants seeking refuge for their austere religion, the town also lent unparalleled access to the high seas. The combination would lead to what would become the most successful whaling industry in America, and with it, the world's first oil hegemony. Oyl, or oil derived from whale blubber, revolutionized New England commerce. And as intrepid New Bedford whalers ventured farther into uncharted waters in search of untapped resources, the town saw incomparable wealth. But with all of the town's resources tethered to this dangerous industry and the fickle sea, success was fragile.
Final Voyage is the story of one fateful whaling season that illuminates the unprecedented rise and devastating fall of America's first oil industry. Peter Nichols deftly captures what New Bedford life was like for its Quaker inhabitants and, using a wealth of primary resources, has created a vivid picture of the evolution of whaling and how its demise was destined even before that devastating voyage.
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"The Quakers of Massachusetts pretty much controlled the whaling industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. And they also oversaw its demise. My interest stems from the fact that a descendent of one of the families founded my hometown in Ohio. It's a very well written and well researched book."
— Rick (4 out of 5 stars)
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“Both an illuminating portrait of Quaker life and industry, and a heart-pounding tale of danger on the open sea.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Peter Nichols has crafted a terrifyingly relevant historical narrative. As he demonstrates in riveting and fascinating detail, America’s current addiction to petroleum was anticipated by its ultimately disastrous dependence on whale oil. Final Voyage is a terrific read.”
— Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Mayflower
Final Voyage Listener Reviews
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" You've heard about peak oil? This book was about "peak whale." That is, the moment when the whaling industry, which was the source of most fuel and many other products in the 19th century, reached its peak, and then collapsed overnight. A fascinating economic and social history. "
— Chris, 5/16/2012 -
" Interesting topic, but the author never explicitly makes the connection between whale oil and petroleum that he states in the opening pages. "
— Nora, 1/20/2012 -
" I was born in New Bedford, so it a more interesting to me than it might be to others. Very good book. "
— Joseph, 8/4/2011 -
" I have read a lot of books on whaling and naval history, American in particular and while I love the subject matter, the composition of this particular text was not my favorite. "
— Hannah, 12/9/2010
About Peter Nichols
Peter Nichols is the author of the international bestsellers A Voyage for Madmen, Evolution’s Captain and three other books of fiction, memoir, and non-fiction. He spent ten years at sea working as a professional captain and has taught creative writing at Georgetown University. NYU in Paris, and Bowdoin College. He divides his time between Europe and the United States.
About Norman Dietz
Norman Dietz is a writer, voice-over artist, and audiobook narrator. He has won numerous Earphones Awards and was named one of the fifty “Best Voices of the Century” by AudioFile magazine. He and his late wife, Sandra, transformed an abandoned ice-cream parlor into a playhouse, which served “the world’s best hot fudge sundaes” before and after performances. The founder of Theatre in the Works, he lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.