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By Margaret S. Creighton
Traditional accounts of whaling celebrate exotic locales and dangerous
exploits but shed little light on the lives of the men who went to sea. This
book places sailors at the center of a social history of whaling and explores
the ways in which the history of the sea and the history of the shore have
intersected. 34 illustrations.
Book News, Inc., 11/30/95:
A social history of American whaling, drawing on diaries and ship logs to
examine the beliefs and behaviors of the men who labored at sea. Reassesses
the image of the tyrannical captain, and looks at the relationship the sailors
forged with land society, particularly with women. Finds that the seafaring
served as a rite of passage into manhood. Nicely illustrated with contemporary
drawings and scrimshaw. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
--This text refers to
the
hardcover edition of this title.
Paperback
List: $18.95 ~
by
Herman
Melville,
Charles
C. Walcott (Editor)
List Price:
$4.95 Our Price: $3.96
You Save: $0.99 (20%)
Reviews
From Kirkus Reviews , January 15, 1997
From the team behind the adaptation of The Odyssey (1995), an audacious
retelling that follows the main story line of Melville's monumental work--of
Ishmael's tale of Captain Ahab's mad quest for revenge against the giant
white whale that took his leg on a previous voyage. While rewrites for children
of classic adult literature remain controversial, this one is stunning. The
language, through which McCaughrean subtly brings out many of the metaphors
of the original text, is unusually ornate for the format, making it--despite
its storybook-look--more appropriate for readers beyond picture books. Although
sometimes humorless, the lush prose rockets the story along like a square
rigger under full sail, with all the beauty and complexity that entails.
Ambrus's ample illustrations are full of character. McCaughrean largely succeeds
in conveying to young readers the mood, language, story, and power of the
original. For those disposed to retellings of the classics, this is a prime
example of the way to do it. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1997,
Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to
the
hardcover
edition of this title
Whaling Will Never Do for Me : The American Whaleman in the Nineteenth Century
Busch (history, Colgate U.) follows up his definitive history of the American sealing industry with a detailed account of the colorful but difficult life aboard whaling ships, drawn from the vast body of ships logs and journals. Deals little with the mechanics of the actual hunt. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
When the Whalers Were Up North : Inuit Memories from the Eastern Arctic
Book News, Inc., 03/31/90:
Oral histories of the 100 years of British and American whaling off
the east coast of Canada and in Hudson Bay, as experienced by the native
people who fed, clothed, and hunted with the whalers. Illustrated with modern
drawings (some in color), and photographs from the period. Annotation copyright
Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
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