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In the Heart of the Sea (Abridged): The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex Audiobook
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The riveting and critically acclaimed bestseller, soon to be a major motion picture directed by Ron Howard
Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Ben Whishaw, and Brendan Gleeson will star in a new film based on this National Book Award–winning account of the true events behind Moby Dick.
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—and now, its epic adaptation for the screen—will forever place the Essex tragedy in the American historical canon.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
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"This book was INSANE. Philbrick does not bore you once - his writing is almost always engaging (and always informative), thus a genuine page turner. Back to the insane part, well, the tale told is one of extreme survival and desperation - what these men went through makes that James Franco movie look like Disney Land. You really get to the depths of Human Nature on this one, really - and it isn't embellished or sensationalized, it's an utterly fascinating exploration. The story being the true inspiration to one of the GREATEST novels ever, Moby Dick... That said - you also learn about a very important, yet now-almost forgotten, slice of American History that that was Nantucket Whaling. Read this."
— Thomas (5 out of 5 stars)
In the Heart of the Sea Listener Reviews
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" In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a very well crafted novel with epic descriptions of the tragedy involving the whale ship Essex. The author does a fine job telling a very sad but important story about not only the ship and the events surrounding the crew's demise but also the whaling industry and Nantucket's rise and slow decline by the end of the 19th century. I recommend this book to anyone interested in an amazing and true story that reads like a movie in one's mind. "
— Mr., 2/18/2014 -
" Love history and non-fiction and have never been able to get into Moby Dick and thoroughly enjoyed this book. "
— Valerie, 2/13/2014 -
" Fantastic book - God, I'm glad I live when I do vs. the 1800's... "
— Geoff, 1/26/2014 -
" Interesting and horrifying "
— Laurie, 1/25/2014 -
" This was a well-researched and well written book about the true story of the sinking of the Essex whaleship and what happened to the crew. Some of the crew survived after being adrift in boats for almost 90 days, and 3 survived after staying on an uninhabited island. "
— Kristi, 1/19/2014 -
" This was an excellent book. Lots of interesting history. Very much enjoyed this book and would read again. "
— Kristina, 1/18/2014 -
" This is a chilling episode of American history that is often overlooked. Philbrick does an excellent job describing the whaling trade. A must read for any maritime history buff, and a good read for the rest of us. "
— Owen, 12/30/2013 -
" This book is my top recommendation as a specimen of superb non-fiction writing. Philbrick masterfully weaves the deterioration in the story with what we now know about physiology. "
— Evan, 12/10/2013 -
" A true story of tragedy and survival. I was amazed that I had never heard about this story. Nathaniel Philbrick weaves an epic tale. "
— Amanda, 12/8/2013 -
" Very well done. Now I need to re-read Moby Dick. "
— Christy, 11/8/2013 -
" Didn't think I would like it, but it was surprisingly interesting. Nothing like a good (true) tale of survival cannibalism! "
— Cindy, 11/4/2013 -
" A very interesting story about the events that inspired Moby Dick. It is about the whaling ship Essex that was sunk when struck by a sperm whale and the crew that had to try to survive in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in small whaling boots. Tragic and Fascinating. "
— Patrick, 5/28/2013 -
" Great details about Nantucket, whaling, and the fate of the crew of the Essex. Some of the actual disaster seemed to be romanticized by a writer who has never experienced a boat-sinking. "
— Mary, 5/10/2013 -
" The first account of a whale attacking and sinking a whaleboat. Moby Dick was based on this story. "
— Stephanie, 2/12/2013 -
" Philbrick brings to life an incredible American tragedy that should be as well known as the story of the Donner Party, yet most have never heard the story of the whaleship Essex. This is one of the most compelling books I've ever read and the will stay with me for a long time. "
— Juliev6868, 2/5/2013 -
" really fascinating travel writing and historical narrative "
— David, 9/7/2012 -
" Lyrically written with an encompassing set of attributes that truly shows the life and time of whaling. This story in particular was called upon with interest as the stranded ship resorts to the horrors many men struggled morally with in the concept of survival. Excellent read. "
— Ragemore83, 9/2/2012 -
" #6 IN THE HEART OF THE SEA: The Tragedy Of The Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick: Durfee's top 50 non-fiction books countdown. The most harrowing sea adventure i have ever read. And all you ever wanted to know about whaling too "
— Brian, 6/24/2012 -
" Was a fantastic glimpse into what life was like when men went off on ships and you never really knew what was going on until they came back. Really great for your imagination in this time of unlimited connectedness. Also interesting for its historical perspective, made this era come alive. "
— Rachel, 6/15/2012 -
" Must have a strong stomach to read this one. Great book but a lot of detail on what happens when you're stranded at sea for months. Phenomenal book, so well written. I'm going to get his new book. "
— Labarry, 1/4/2012 -
" Loved it. the story of the essex was the inspiration for Moby dick. Interesting whale info and history of the whaling industry on Nantucket Island. "
— Wandac, 12/13/2011 -
" Excellent book. I loved this historical side of the story as well as the personal stories. I highly recommend this book "
— Amy, 6/6/2011 -
" A very interesting historical read that went well with my steady diet of Patrick O'Brian and the the Aubrey - Maturin series.<br/><br/>The real story was the foundation of Moby Dick.<br/><br/> "
— Tim, 5/22/2011 -
" Fascinating historical account of whaling "
— Kathie, 5/18/2011 -
" Fantastic! Cannibalism, whaling, shipwrecks! "
— Jenny, 5/17/2011 -
" Enjoyable read, it's amazing how the crew survived in open boats in the middle of the ocean. I guess the cannibalism had something to do with it though...yum! "
— Tag, 5/15/2011 -
" Didn't think I would like it, but it was surprisingly interesting. Nothing like a good (true) tale of survival cannibalism! "
— Cindy, 5/13/2011 -
" Tremendous spirit of two officers who lead boats. Amazing what men can indure. Unreal what happens to the body during extreme deprivation. The whale intelligence is another whole dimension. "
— Mary, 5/13/2011 -
" A great read! Great lesson in the history of whaling. "
— Ruth, 5/6/2011 -
" There were times when it dragged, though it was necessary to explain the whaling process. "
— Rachel, 4/20/2011 -
" I thought this book was very exciting. In addition to the stranded/shipwreck aspect, it gave a good idea of what it was like to work on a whaling vessel in the early 1800s and a good picture of life on Nantucket at that time. "
— Tara, 4/18/2011 -
" Great historic perspective into the whaling industry, old Natucket culture and a horrifying true tale of survival at sea. "
— Don, 4/7/2011 -
" good, but hard to recommend. try to read quickly through the parts about cannibalism. "
— Baylor, 4/7/2011
About Nathaniel Philbrick
Nathaniel Philbrick is the National Book Award–winning author of In the Heart of the Sea, Revenge of the Whale, Sea of Glory, and others. Philbrick has won numerous awards for his work, including the Massachusetts Book Award, the Albion-Monroe Award, and the New England Book Award; his book Mayflower was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. His book The Last Stand was named an ALA Notable Book and was the basis for a two-hour PBS American Experience film called Custer’s Last Stand. A graduate of Duke and Brown Universities, he currently lives in New England.