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  • Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex

  • Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex (Original News Stories of Whale Attacks & Cannibals)
  • By: Owen Chase, Thomas Nickerson
  • Narrated by: Paul J. McSorley
  • Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (6 ratings)

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Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex

By: Owen Chase, Thomas Nickerson
Narrated by: Paul J. McSorley
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Summary

In one of the most spellbinding accounts of men who go down to the sea in ships, the modern listener is given a seat in the whale boat of Owen Chase as he and his fellow crew and their captain make way in three boats after the wreckage of the Whaleship Essex.

The account of how the Essex was wrecked inspired the infamous book Moby Dick and countless movies, including In the Heart of the Sea.

The perils of sea, storms, nefarious intent of evil men, and fate combined to bring an end to a long whaling voyage - typically hard and grueling enough without suffering an attack by a furious and vengeful sperm whale.

The story, told in a first-person narrative by Owen Chase, the first mate of the Essex, was first published in 1821 and served to inspire Herman Melville to write his fictional book of the attack by the whale.

The perseverance and determination of the crew, mate, and captain to use each and every tool and morsel available to them in salvaging the wrecked Essex to outfit their flimsy whaleboats for a voyage of more than 2,500 miles back to the South American coast is remarkable in many ways.

Every ounce of energy and civility rapidly evaporated after two months at sea. The story not told by Melville may be the best part, though the attack by the whale is still impressive if one imagines being on the small ship as the leviathan repeatedly bashes in the hull.

In addition to the stirring account by Owen Chase are parts of the account by cabin boy Thomas Nickerson.

Nickerson returned to the seas on whaleships following the Essex shipwreck, one of just a few known to have been sunk by a whale. After he retired to running a boardinghouse in Nantucket, Nickerson finally wrote his account of the Essex and the plight of the crew. Nickerson put pen to paper only when challenged by a visiting author.

©2015 Kenneth C. Rossignol (P)2015 Kenneth C. Rossignol
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What listeners say about Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex

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Amazing

Listened to it twice, fantastic, frightening, beautifully written, superbly narrated. Read it you will love it

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Whale ship essex

If you could sum up Wreck of the Whale Ship Essex in three words, what would they be?

gripping action packed

What did you like best about this story?

atmospheric writing

Any additional comments?

an extremely enjoyable story, also additional information, altogether a great read for anyone who loves the sea and tales of it

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