In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex

The riveting bestseller tells the story of the true events that inspired Melville's Moby-Dick. Winner of the National Book Award, Nathaniel Philbrick's book is a fantastic saga of survival and adventure, steeped in the lore of whaling, with deep resonance in American literature and history. In the Heart of the Sea, recently adapted into a major feature film starring Chris Hemsworth, is a book for the ages.

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Published May 1, 2001

320 pages

Average rating: 8.03

65 RATINGS

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Book discussion group sponsored by the Scarborough Public Library that used to meet at O'Reilly's Cure in Scarborough, Maine, but has now moved to the Seadog Brewing in Scarborough, near Cabella's.

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Community Reviews

Dfaiello
Dec 11, 2024
9/10 stars
This is a true story I never knew happened. Nor did I know this book was the basis for Moby Dick. I also watched the DVD.
The Cedar Planck
Aug 12, 2024
8/10 stars
Not for the feint of heart, lots of in depth gruesome detail regarding whaling, the realities of being stranded in the ocean, and cannibalism.
oh_let3
May 16, 2023
10/10 stars
Brutal. Don't mess with whales.

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