| View Larger Image | Gone A-Whaling: The Lure of the Sea and the Hunt for the Great Whale | Paperbackby Jim Murphy (Author)
| List Price: | $8.95 | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Sandpiper | | Page Count: | 208 Pages | | Publication Date: | May 24, 2004 | | Sales Rank: | 223,096rd |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
In the early days of whaling, whales were plentiful and it seemed that they would always fill the sea. When people realized how much money could be made from whales in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, entire species were wiped out in the rush to hunt these gentle and magnificent creatures. This account is an even-handed portrayal of the exciting, grisly, and sometimes profitable business of pelagic whaling, told from the perspective of young whalers through their detailed journal entries and letters. Glossary, bibliography,index. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 1 review)
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Wonderful reading by Rich Ackerman (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)  5 Stars
December 09, 1999
I've been reading one chapter a night to my eight year old, and he and I have both loved this book. It discusses the history of whaling, from early humans through modern times. Whenever possible, the author quotes primary sources, including the writings of "cabin boys", the young all-around helpers who served on whaleships. This youthful perspective keeps even an eight year old interested. Original photographs, boat plans, painting, etchings, and other illustrations are often used to illuminate the main points made in each chapter.The book strikes a good balance between environmentalism - the fact that many species were brought to the brink of extinction - with economics - the fact that people 100 or 200 years ago needed work and baleen and oil, and whales provided these in abundance.Anyone young reader with an interest in animals, American history, ships, technology, or whales will likely find this a most enjoyable book to read.
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