Genius though he was, Melville didn’t make up Moby Dick. Rather, the real-life sinking of Nantucket’s Essex by a whale inspired him. Philbrick recently wrote about the Essex, but Essex first mate Owen Chase’s short but powerful first hand-account is now available on Ria Press. Most incredible is Chase’s matter-of-fact nature in dealing with the sinking and aftermath. Looking backwards a more than century and half later, we see that while a sinking by a whale was unprecedented, the need to take to a small boat to survive in the open ocean, with unthinkable conditions and decisions to ensue, was an occupational hazard.

After all, Chase returns to the sea.