UNITED STATES AUTHOR · HISTORY · INDIANS OF NORTH AMERICA
Nathaniel Philbrick
Also known as: NATHANIEL PHILBRICK, Nat Philbrick
It was, he later remembered, "the most pleasing moment of my life"- the moment he stepped aboard the whaleship Essex for the first time.
— from Revenge of the Whale
Most acclaimed
Mayflower
From the perilous ocean crossing to the shared bounty of the first Thanksgiving, the Pilgrim settlement of New England has become enshrined as our most sacred national myth. Yet, as author Philbrick reveals, the true story of the Pilgrims is much more than the well-known tale of piety and sacrifice; it is a 55-year epic. The Mayflower's religious refugees arrived in Plymouth Harbor during a period of crisis for Native Americans, as disease spread by European fishermen devastated their populations. Initially the two groups maintained a fragile working relationship. But within decades, New England erupted into King Philip's War, a savage conflict that nearly wiped out colonists and natives alike, and forever altered the face of the fledgling colonies and the country that would grow from them. Philbrick has fashioned a fresh portrait of the dawn of American history--dominated right from the start by issues of race, violence, and religion.--From publisher description.
Revenge of the Whale
Never in the history of whale hunting had a ship been attacked by a whale. But on November 20, 1820, the unthinkable happened: the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. In minutes, the twenty-man crew (several of whom were only teenagers) found themselves stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in three leaky boats with minimal supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued off the coast of South America. The castaways had sailed over 4,500 miles from the site of the disaster, an incredible distance. But of the twenty men, only eight survived. Through first-hand accounts -- including that of fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson -- as well as archival photos, maps, and artwork, Revenge of the Whale stunningly re-creates the dire circumstances of the ill-fated Essex. How these young men overcame hunger, thirst, fear, and the near loss of their humanity is a story as exciting and shocking as any ever told. - Jacket flap.
Second wind
Dr. Bill Thomas, one of the most innovative thinkers in medicine, explains that a new life phase is beginning to emerge within our society. When the Baby Boom generation came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, they jump-started a cultural revolution that shaped today's society. Now, many feel they are living a life of frenzied disharmony. This out-of-balance feeling is a signal that you are ready for your second coming of age, your life beyond adulthood. This title illuminates how to recognize and navigate the most challenging and fulfilling developmental stage of life. --Publishe's description. "A new life phase is beginning to emerge within our society. When the Baby Boom generation came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, they jump-started a cultural revolution that shaped today's society. Now, many feel they are living a life of frenzied disharmony. This out-of-balance feeling is a signal that you are ready for your second coming of age, your life beyond adulthood. [This book] illuminates how to recognize and navigate the most challenging and fulfilling developmental stage of life"--Dust jacket flap.