Shipwreck of the Whaleship 'Essex

Shipwreck of the Whaleship 'Essex by Owen Chase. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780712667418.

Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex is the gripping story of a ships encounter with a great white whale and the crews harrowing plight for survival on the open seas. On 20 November 1820 the Essex was rammed by a sperm whale and sank in mid-Pacific. This book contains first mates Owen Chases original 1821 narrative, as well as two others written by the captain and a shipmate of the Essex. Each tells of the whales attack, the sinking of the ship, and the three dreadful months that followed as the remainder of the crew were left stranded in a few small open boats in the South Seas. Of the twenty men that escaped the ship, eight survived; and they did so only by resorting to cannibalism.Capturing all the elements of an ancient and powerful tragedy, this book is a thrilling tale of survival - as well as a frightful example of mans darkest impulses - which allows the reader a gruesome glimpse behind the theatrical veil of honour and bravery that history often ascribes to such men of the sea. The reading of this wondrous story had a surprising effect upon me, wrote Herman Melville on reading Owen Chases narrative. An age-old gem of maritime lore, this story has made its mark as an inspiration for Moby Dick, one of the most legendary novels ever written.