Book Descriptions
for Revenge of the Whale by Nathaniel Philbrick
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Nathaniel Philbrick presents an excellent revision of his successful adult title, In the Heart of the Sea , in this captivating adaptation for young readers. Maps, diagrams, photographs, and illustrations add dimension to the gripping narrative, which draws heavily on primary sources. In 1820, the Nantucket whaleship Essex was attacked by a sperm whale while voyaging in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was sunk, and its 20 crew members set out to sail over 1,500 miles to the South American coast, in three small whaleboats, with minimal provisions. The author's description of the men's suffering, as they are reduced to daily rations of 2 ounces of hardtack and a sip of water each, is both horrible and mesmerizing. Dehydrated and starving, the men eventually resort to cannibalism as their shipmates die, or are killed for food. When two of the boats finally reach South America, over three months have passed, they have traveled over 4,500 miles from the spot where the Essex was sunk, and over half of the men are dead. This volume is guaranteed to fascinate a wide range of readers, including disaster aficionados, history buffs, and lovers of a good adventure story. (Ages 11‑15)
CCBC Choices 2003 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2003. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Adapted from In the Heart of the Sea, soon to be a major motion picture starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Ben Wishaw, and Brendan Gleeson, and directed by Ron Howard.
On November 20, 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with barely any supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America. Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas. Based on his New York Times best-seller In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fated Essex through the sailors own first-hand accounts, photos, maps, and artwork, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventure stories.
On November 20, 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. Within minutes, the twenty-one-man crew, including the fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson, found themselves stranded in three leaky boats in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with barely any supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued 4,500 miles away, off the coast of South America. Of the twenty-one castaways, only eight survived, including young Thomas. Based on his New York Times best-seller In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick recreates the amazing events of the ill-fated Essex through the sailors own first-hand accounts, photos, maps, and artwork, and tells the tale of one of the great true-life adventure stories.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.
