"Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex" by Owen Chase is a captivating historical narrative from the 1800s that retells the real ordeal of the Essex, a whaling vessel met with destruction by an angry sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean. A vivid picture of the Nantucket whaling industry is painted, setting the scene for an incredible journey. The narrative begins with a fierce storm battering the ship early in the voyage, creating a sense of impending misfortune, and a sudden, brutal encounter with a whale marks the beginning of the end, resulting in chaos and the ship's sinking. This leaves the crew adrift and fighting for their lives in a seemingly endless ocean, marking the start of a ninety-three day struggle of survival against the elements and impossible odds.
Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-ship Essex, of Nantucket; Which Was Attacked and Finally Destroyed by a Large Spermaceti-whale, in the Pacific Ocean; With an Account of the Unparalleled Sufferings of the Captain and Crew During a Space of Ninety-three Days at Sea, in Open Boats in the Years 1819 & 1820.
By Owen Chase
A whaling ship is assaulted by a massive whale, leaving its crew to battle starvation, the elements, and their own despair as they drift for months across the open ocean.
Summary
About the AuthorOwen Chase was first mate of the whaler Essex, which sank in the Pacific Ocean on November 20, 1820, after being rammed by a sperm whale. Soon after his return to Nantucket, Chase wrote an account of the shipwreck and the attempts of the crew to reach land in small boats. The book, Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, was published in 1821 and would inspire Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick.
Owen Chase was first mate of the whaler Essex, which sank in the Pacific Ocean on November 20, 1820, after being rammed by a sperm whale. Soon after his return to Nantucket, Chase wrote an account of the shipwreck and the attempts of the crew to reach land in small boats. The book, Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex, was published in 1821 and would inspire Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick.
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