Name: The Whale
ISBN: 9780061976209

Philip Hoare

From his childhood fascination with the gigantic Natural History Museum model of a blue whale, to his abiding love of Moby-Dick, to his adult encounters with the living animals in the Atlantic Ocean, the acclaimed writer Philip Hoare has been obsessed with whales. The Whale is his unforgettable and moving attempt to explain why these strange and beautiful animals exert such a powerful hold on our imagination.

In Search of the Giants of the Sea

The Whale

From his childhood fascination with the gigantic Natural History Museum model of a blue whale to his adult encounters with the living animals in the Atlantic Ocean, the acclaimed writer Philip Hoare has been obsessed with whales. Journeying through human and natural history, The Whale is the result of his voyage of discovery into the heart of this obsession and the book that inspired it: Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. Taking us deep into their domain, Hoare shows us these mysterious creatures as they have never been seen before. Following in Ishmael's footsteps, he explores the troubled history of man and whale; visits the historic whaling locales of New Bedford, Nantucket, and the Azores; and traces the whale's cultural history from Jonah to Free Willy. Winner of the prestigious BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, The Whale is an unforgettable and often moving attempt to explain why these strange and beautiful animals still exert such a powerful hold on our imagination.

moby dick fan fic + some good ole whale obsessed SAD facts

Emma Younger

Sarah Sammis

This book is about all things whale but it is disorganized. The book contains information on whale biology, the history of whale biology, whaling, whale as cultural icon and length passages on the homoerotic aspects of Moby Dick as well as Herman Melville's biography. It's all smashed together with no real rhyme or reason. With better organization, this would be a great book.

http://www.pussreboots.pair.com/blog/...

Gabriela Magana

I'm obsessed with whales, and therefore will read or watch anything that has to do with them. This why I urge readers not to make the mistake of going into this book expecting natural history. It is not a book of whale facts, it is rather a book about the natural and cultural relationship between humans and whales in literature, history and science. 

He recognizes that what we have done to whales is upsetting but more importantly, outlines the cultural and social differences between Melville's Ishmael and us as a collective: Ismael's whaling is only acceptable because he lives in a world where the prey is equally powerful as the predator. We live in a world of technology and weaponry, where the prey deserves compassion not our apprehension.

Lindsay Cronk

Genuinely engrossing and really fun. I kind of fell in love with whales- I started listening to music with themes of captivity and predation- I toyed at the idea of going on a whale cruise. It's that kind of book, the kind that inspires in little, charming ways.

The Whale In Search of the Giants of the Sea

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