Dolin’s book covers every aspect of whaling in America , from how whales were found, caught and killed, to the hundreds of everyday articles produced from their carcases; from how the industry’s fortunes were shaped by economic, political and social factors, to the experiences of the whalemen. As well as the physical privations of a life under sail, an average voyage lasted about four years, and even though letters could sometimes be exchanged with other ships, news from home was always long out of date. The following exchange, supposedly between a whaling captain and his wife, made the rounds on Nantucket.
Dear Ezra,
Where did you put the axe?
Love, Martha.
Fourteen months later came the reply:
Dear Martha,
What do you want the axe for?
Love, Ezra.
A year later came another letter:
Dear Ezra,
Never mind the axe. What did you do with the hammer?
Love, Martha.
Dolin’s book is the first readable modern account of one of American history’s great themes. Peppered with true tales of human adventure, its enduring hero nevertheless remains the inscrutable Leviathan himself.
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