Revenge of the Whale

Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, Adapted for Young People from In The Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was a wonderful book about whaling, way back in the 1820's.
It is a nonfiction book, but reads as easily as a novel. The book tells a story of a whaling ship from Nantucket that was actually attacked by a huge whale in the Pacific Ocean, and as a result the ship sunk. The horrified crew knew it would take a miracle for them to survive, as they were a thousand miles from any land. The crew, now in three small boats, set sail for land, and the adventure is told in an exciting way. Of course, they actually had to resort to cannibalism,in order for some of the men to survive.
Having been to Nantucket a few times, and having been on many whale watches off of Cape Cod, this book brought the smell of the wind and the sea to life for me. It is also a look into what makes some men brave, and what lengths some men will go to survive against all odds.

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