In the Heart of the Sea

The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

By: Nathaniel Philbrick

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Award, Nonfiction, 2000

The ordeal of the whaleship Essex was an event as mythic in the nineteenth century as the sinking of the Titanic was in the twentieth. In 1819 the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with 20 crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific, the ship was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew drifted for more than 90 days in three tiny whaleboats, succumbing to weather, hunger, and disease and ultimately turning to drastic measures in the fight for survival.

Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents, including a long-lost account written by the ship's cabin boy, and penetrating details about whaling and the Nantucket community to reveal the chilling events surrounding this epic maritime disaster. An intense and mesmerizing read, In the Heart of the Sea is a monumental work of history forever placing the Essex tragedy in the American historical canon.

©2000 Nathaniel Philbrick (P)2000 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Fascinating...One of our country's great adventure stories...when it comes to extremes, In the Heart of the Sea is right there." (The Wall Street Journal)

"A book that gets in your bones...Philbrick has created an eerie thriller from a centuries old tale....Scrupulously researched and eloquently written...it would have earned Melville's admiration." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Spellbinding." (Time)

grim but true tail

this audio book was so much better than the movie. showed the inaccuracies of the movie version to provide a good historical perspective.

An Informative and dramatic read

If you could sum up In the Heart of the Sea in three words, what would they be?

engrossinginformativeabsorbing

What did you like best about this story?

The historical perspective and the ties to Moby Dick made it a read that is relatable. Of course, I was a Melville fan in college, but knowing that the basis of the Moby Dick was based on this story captured me.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

Probably the captain Pollard, but others were equally brillinat

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

It went so fast. Never thought I would like this read, but I loved it. One of my best reads this year.

Great story, choppy playback

I loved the story and the historical facts in the book. However there are times when it feels like the playback ends mid sentence and starts on the next chapter. Doesn't ruin the book, just annoying.

Gripping from beginning to end

loved this book. it was gripping from beginning to end. The listener is taken on a sea voyage and was made to experience the journey as if you yourself was in the whale boat. Scary and frightful. The history of whaling on the island of Nantucket by Quakers is seldom known. This book brought history to life without excuses for what occurred to blacks and those who were not considered true "Nantucketers". Highly recommend

Over 90 Days At Sea

Very gripping story of the Tragedy of the Essex. Author really researched for information for this book. I liked the audio book very much.

great book, flat ending

great book, second only to "endurance", i just wish they hadn't spent the last 2 hours reading the bibliography. it made the book end on a flat note.
i understand this is an "unabridged" performance, but let's be reasonable.

One of the best I’ve ever heard

I had never cared about moby dick and then adding the Ken burns doc channel and watching the accompanying documentary they made for this book led me to listening. So compelling. Movie was good too.

Pretty Good

Very interesting story, learning about the culture of the island and the whaling vessels was very interesting. The Essex crew's story is so sad, but quite intriguing. Some topics felt like they were repeated a bit too frequently. and as just a personal note, the audiobook did not need the notes section. But a good read overall.

Hunting whale oil

Nantucket was the capital of the whaling world. Sailing from Nantucket, the whaleship Essex should have been very successful, returning Nantucket with a hold full of whale oil to sell. Instead, the ship was attacked and sunk by an 80-foot sperm whale in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The story of the Essex sinking and her crew’s subsequent struggles is the inspiration for the Herman Melville classic Moby Dick. Essex was attacked by the giant whale while her crew was hunting other whales. The crew ended up split up into three small boats, thousands of miles from land. Together they decided to sail toward South America. Their seamanship and discipline led two of the three ships to their eventual rescue. Many of the crew died of starvation or after giving up hope. Some of the crew members only survived by eating their dead companions. The end of the story tells how each of the survivors lives out their remaining days. This book is extremely well researched, organized, and written. Thanks, Stephen, for the recommendation.

This book is for sailors, historians, and cannibals.

Riveting

I don't listen to much non-fiction, preferring to lose myself in someone else's world. This book was recommended by a colleague and it sounded interesting so I got it. WOW - I couldn't stop listening to it. This is real life better than any fiction. An amazing story, set in the history of whaling, and Scott Brick was the perfect narrator for this book.