Leviathan

I picked up Leviathan:the History of Whaling in America from my dad last time I was home and I'm sure glad I did. I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately and to tell you the truth a lot of it is kind of boring so I was happy to find Leviathan truly engrossing from start to finish. Eric Jay Dollin starts his chronicle at the beginning when early settlers carved up whales found on the beach. The book serves as a very interesting look at the history of early America as seen through the population of whalemen and supporting business. The trials of early settlers, their dealings with Native Americans, the rise of towns in New England and a good discourse on the outbreak of the American Revolution. A particularly liked the fact that Dollin is willing to acknowledge areas where the exact history is in doubt for example he introduces the idea that Native Americans were whalers and gives some evidence that maybe they were but also points out there is no written account confirming the fact.

What amazed me in the telling of the tale of American Whaling is how far these men went to pursue their trade. They sailed around Cape Horn into the Pacific, north to the Bering Strait, traveling for several years on end in quite miserable quarters. Whaling is not a job that sounded like fun, though I can imagine the adventure of seeing far off lands and the thrill of chasing a whale during the hunt would make it appealing to some. The whales were hunted mercilessly and knowingly to near extinction so that Americans could have light in their homes, stays for their corsets and lubrication to grease the gears of the industrial revolution. Petroleum products in the end replaced whale oil and the whaling industry died out at the start of the twentieth century.

Leviathan is so well written and informative I would recommend everyone to read it. The multidisciplinary chronicle appeals to the historian, the scientist, the businessperson, the engineer, the environmentalist and anyone who enjoys a tale of adventure.