Nathaniel Philbrick Books

In 1819, the 238-ton Essex set sail from Nantucket on a routine voyage for whales. Fifteen months later, the unthinkable happened: in the farthest reaches of the South Pacific, the Essex was rammed and sunk by an enraged sperm whale. Its twenty-man crew, fearing cannibals on the islands to the west, decided instead to sail their three tiny boats for the distant South American coast. They would eventually travel over 4,500 miles. The next three months tested just how far humans could go in their battle against the sea as, one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease and fear. ... This is a timeless account of the human spirit under extreme duress, but it is also a story about a community and about the kind of men and women who lived in a forbidding, remote island like Nantucket. -- Dust jacket

From the author of Mayflower, Valiant Ambition, and In the Hurricane's Eye--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 1820, the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale, leaving the desperate crew to drift for more than ninety days in three tiny boats. Nathaniel Philbrick uses little-known documents and vivid details about the Nantucket whaling tradition to reveal the chilling facts of this infamous maritime disaster. In the Heart of the Sea, recently adapted into a major feature film starring Chris Hemsworth, is a book for the ages.

In Valiant Ambition, Nathaniel Philbrick tells a story of loyalty and personal integrity, evoking a Shakespearean tragedy that unfolds in the key relationship between George Washington and General Benedict Arnold during the American Revolution. This is a complex, controversial piece of history that paints a dramatic portrait of a people in crisis and the war that gave birth to a nation

The bestselling author of "Mayflower" sheds new light on one of the iconic stories of the American West. Little Bighorn and Custer are names synonymous with unmatched bravery and spectacular defeat. Mythologized as Custer's Last Stand, the June 1876 battle is often compared to other famous last stands, such as the Spartans at Thermopylae and Davy Crockett at the Alamo. In a tightly structured narrative, Nathaniel Philbrick sketches the larger-than-life figures of Sitting Bull, a charismatic leader of the Plains Indians, and George Armstrong Custer, a renowned Union cavalry officer known for his fearless yet reckless bravery. Philbrick emphasizes that the Battle of the Little Bighorn marked the last stand for the Sioux and Cheyenne nations, who, outraged by government policies, united to defend their territory in southern Montana. Yet, within a few years, all major tribal leaders would be confined to reservations. Throughout the narrative, Philbrick evokes the history and geography of the Great Plains with grace and drama. This account of the archetypal story of the American West continues to resonate in our collective imagination.

"First published in the United States of America by Mill Hill Press, 1994"--T.p. verso.

Adapted from the New York Times bestseller Mayflower! After a dangerous journey across the Atlantic, the Mayflower?s passengers were saved from certain destruction with the help of the Natives of the Plymouth region. For fifty years a fragile peace was maintained as Pilgrims and Native Americans learned to work together. But when that trust was broken by the next generation of leaders, a conflict erupted that nearly wiped out Pilgrims and Natives alike. Adapted from the New York Times bestseller Mayflower specifically for younger readers, this edition includes additional maps, artwork, and archival photos.

This book offers a deep exploration of Melville's classic work, celebrating its themes and significance. The author, known for his bestselling historical narratives, brings a fresh perspective that is both insightful and engaging. Readers can expect a thought-provoking analysis that highlights the enduring impact of Melville's masterpiece on literature and culture. With a blend of historical context and literary critique, this celebration invites both fans and newcomers to appreciate the richness of Melville's writing.

A history of the Pilgrim settlement of New England discusses such topics as the diseases of European origin suffered by the Wampanoag tribe, the relationship between the Pilgrims and their Native American neighbors, and the impact of King Philip's War.

Writing in first person about his own adventures with his travel companions (wife and puppy), Philbrick follows the tour of America that Washington went on after becoming President--an almost 2,000-mile journey from Mount Vernon to the new capital in New York, a tour of New England, a venture out across Long Island, and into the hinterlands of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The narrative moves smoothly back and forth from the eighteenth to twenty-first centuries, so we see the country through Washington's eyes as well as Philbrick's

Moby-Dick is a profound American epic filled with rich imagery and intense themes, exploring humanity's struggles against fate aboard the whaling ship Pequod. Captain Ahab's obsessive quest for the elusive White Whale symbolizes deeper existential battles. This edition is part of the Macmillan Collector's Library, featuring a thoughtful afterword.