Written by Nathaniel Philbrick - Narrated by Taylor Mali - Unabridged Nonfiction - 5 COMPACT DISCS - 5.5 hours

Publisher, Audio Bookshelf (January 2005)

Star Review - Publishers Weekly - "Ahoy! From the first strains of the sea, listeners will be swept back to an exciting and busy time in maritime history. Mali performs a keen reading that matches the gripping tone of Philbrick's work about the wreck of the Nantucket whaler Essex in November 1820 and the amazing tale of some of the crew's survival and rescue some months later. But this history filled volume, which often sounds like a novel, is the real thing, culled from accounts of people who were actually on the ship. Mali makes sure that listeners ride the waves of exhilaration, fear, tragedy and joyous relief."

"Vivid and compelling. Revenge...is history at its best." --Bookpage Winner - Boston Globe - Horn Book non-Fiction Honor Award, 2003 - The Bulletin - Starred review. Horn Book-Starred review -based on In the heart of the Sea - National Book Award

The shipwrecked crew of the whaleship Essex was living proof that it could when a whale displayed a fury never before witnessed, ramming and sinking their vessel in a matter of minutes in November,1820. The story of their survival is one rarely spoken of by Nantucketers even to this day, but national Book Award winning author Nathaniel Philbrick courageously brings every shocking detail into the light. The result is this unforgettable and riveting account of the horrors of survival at sea. This is "The Adventure" audiobook of the year!

About the Author: Nathaniel Philbrick, is a leading authority on the history of Nantucket Island. His In the Heart of the Sea won the National Book Award. His latest book is Sea of Glory, about the epic U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842. His other books include Away off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890 (which Russell Baker called "indispensable") and Abram's Eyes: The Native American Legend of Nantucket Island ("a classic of historical truth telling," according to Stuart Frank, director of the Kendall Whaling Museum). He has written an introduction to a new edition of Joseph Hart's Miriam Coffin, or The Whale Fisherman, a Nantucket novel (first published in 1834) that Melville relied upon for information about the island when writing Moby Dick.

Philbrick, a champion sailboat racer, has also written extensively about sailing, including The Passionate Sailor (1987) and the forthcoming Second Wind: A Sunfish Sailor's Odyssey. He was editor in chief of the classic Yaahting (Yachting) : A Parody (1984).

In his role as director of the Egan Institute of Maritime Studies, Philbrick, who is also a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association, gives frequent talks about Nantucket and sailing. He has appeared on NBC Today Weekend, A&E's Biography series, and National Public Radio and has served as a consultant for the movie Moby Dick, shown on the USA Network. He received a bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Arts in American Literature from Duke. He lives on Nantucket with his wife and two children.