Leviathan
The History of Whaling In America

By Eric Jay Dolin
(W. W. Norton, 480 pp., 90 illus., ISBN: 978-0-393-33157-8, $15.95. Also available in Audiobook format from Tantor Audiobooks.)

Overview | Awards | Reviews | Excerpt

"To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme," proclaimed Herman Melville, and the vivid story of whaling is one of the mightiest themes in American history. Indeed, much of America's culture, economy, and even its spirit were literally and figuratively rendered from the bodies of whales. In Leviathan, the first one-volume history of American whaling in many decades, historian Eric Jay Dolin chronicles the epic battle between man and the sea — and, in this case, between man and beast — an often-violent struggle that animates the imagination and stirs our emotions.

Beginning his engrossing narrative with Captain John Smith's botched whaling expedition to the New World in 1614, Dolin traces the rise of this burgeoning industry-from its rapid expansion in the colonial era and its brutal struggles during and after the Revolutionary War, to its Golden Age in the mid-1800s, when more than 60 ports got into the whaling business and the sails of America's whaleships whitened the seven seas.

American whale oil lit the world and greased the gears of the industrial revolution. Baleen cut from the mouths of whales shaped the course of feminine fashion. Spermaceti, from sperm whales, produced amazingly brilliant and clean-burning candles, while ambergris gave perfumes great staying power and was worth its weight in gold. And the profits from whaling created great fortunes and helped fuel the nation's growth.

Leviathan teems with fascinating vignettes, from the Pilgrims' frustrating encounters with whales, to the Candle Wars that pitted eighteenth-century New England Industrialists against each other, to the heroic cruise of Captain David Porter and the USS Essex, in which Porter and his men valiantly protected American whaleships during the War of 1812 until they themselves were captured by the British. Then there is the violent tale of Cyrus Plumer, a notorious troublemaker whose mutiny on the whaleship Junior is thrillingly retold. Among the most amazing accounts is that of the Shenandoah, a Confederate raider, which burned 22 of the 26 Union whaleships it captured, most after the Civil War had already ended.

In the waning years of the nineteenth century, we witness the agonizingly slow death of an American industry, as the discovery of oil, tragic disasters in the Arctic, and changes in female fashion combine to transform the American whalemen into an historical relic. The final scene comes in 1924, as the whaleship Wanderer, wrecked on the shore of Cuttyhunk Island, provides the last glimpse of a bygone era.

Through it all, those "iron men in wooden boats" created a legacy of dramatic, poignant, and at times horrific stories. This sprawling, maritime saga is filled with these tales, as well as rich, lyrical descriptions of whales and the sea. Original, stirring, and authoritative, Leviathan delivers the 300-year history of American whaling in vibrant detail, integrating literary, social, and economic history into an epic account of this once-vital industry.

Leviathan selected as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Providence Journal. Leviathan was also chosen by Amazon.com's editors as one of the 10 best history books of 2007.

Eric Jay Dolin was awarded the 23rd annual (2007) L. Byrne Waterman Award, by the New Bedford Whaling Museum, for outstanding contributions to whaling research and history, for the publication of Leviathan.

Leviathan named an Honors Book in nonfiction for the 8th annual Massachusetts Book Awards (2008-2009).

Leviathan won the 2007 John Lyman Award for U. S. Maritime History, given by the North American Society for Oceanic History.

Leviathan awarded silver medal for history in the Independent Publisher Book Awards (2008).

"Engrossing account . . . at once grand and quirky, entertaining and informative."

"The best history of American whaling to come along in a generation"

"I thought I learned everything I needed to know about whaling from Melville, but I was wrong. Eric Jay Dolin's Leviathan exposes the rise and fall of the industry inspired by the great beasts of the deep . . . The excitement of the stories in this magnificently researched saga build and build — until crude oil replaces whale oil, and the copper-sheathed planking from the hulls of old ships gets sold for novelty firewood. I read every word."

"In the 18th century, whaling became America's first major industry and in the mid-19th one of its largest. Today, except for some Alaska natives who hunt by traditional means, it has vanished. But the whaling business left behind a singularly rich history -- one abrim with adventure, danger and profit -- of men who went down to the sea in ships to hunt the mightiest creatures who ever lived. That story is told, and told very well indeed, by Eric Jay Dolin's Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America . . . Mr. Dolin handles this long, complex tale with great skill, both as a historian and as a writer (the bibliography and illustrations are splendid too). Thanks to his firm command of the tale's narrative drive, Leviathan is thoroughly engaging even as American whaling is becalmed in the 20th century, a ghost of a once great American industry, perhaps the most romantic in the country's business history."

"Leviathan is an exhaustive, richly detailed history of industrial American whaling. . . . Dolin succeeds admirably at what he sets out to do: tell the story of one of the strangest industries in American history."

"A pleasantly anecdotal history of American whaling so comprehensive that he seems to have harpooned at least one fact from every cetacean text ever printed. Leviathan is a gentle book about a brutal industry."

"Dolin's account tracks the history of the industry with unflagging insight. And the Marblehead writer mixes his authoritative research with a whale-oil-smooth style that would satisfy Melville and Jonah alike."

"Eric Jay Dolin's lively and thorough history spans the rise, golden age, and decline of what was once one of New England's distinctive industries. . . . Dolin is well suited to sorting out the fish tales and the sometimes ugly truth of a violent, pressure-filled venture. He sticks mainly to the facts, providing fascinating stories when the evidence allows. And they allow often enough. . . . Dolin chose to take on the subject in its broadest form, and if he leaves us wanting more, that is what good history does."

". . . perfect summer reading, especially if you happen to be spending the summer by the sea, or on it."

"Leviathan will appeal most to history buffs and ocean lovers. . . . Exotic locations, colorful characters, melodrama and gore aplenty, but also food for thought."

"Dolin's writing style is entertaining and involving. His account of the complex history of the whaling industry is exceptional and highly recommended. . . . Leviathan is an excellent one-volume of the age of whaling in America."

"It is rare that a factual book can answer pretty much every question one could pose about its subject and still leave the reader keenly aware of its abiding mystery. . . . Dolin's book is the first readable modern account of one of American history's great themes. Peppered with true tales of human adventure, its enduring hero nevertheless remains the inscrutable Leviathan himself."

"An excellent overview of the history of whaling . . . The book is thoroughly researched and loaded with footnotes that consistently deliver just the kind of supplementation for which the reader yearns. . . . The quality of the writing, copy editing, and organizational coherence of the book are excellent. . . . For colleagues who would like a serious, comprehensive, yet engaging and readable introduction to a subject that has had a profound impact on many of the animal populations that we study and care about, Dolin's offering is a good choice."

"Eric Jay Dolin has done a superb job of chronicling the rise and fall of the American whaling industry in an expansive mosaic of stories that describe every aspect of the business, including the ships, the seamen, the whales and the economy fed by whale products. . . . This is a thorough, thoughtful and well-written story of a largely northeastern industry that was at the time as important to America as was the rice and cotton produced in the South."

"[Leviathan] is meant to show the numerous ways in which whaling influenced U.S. culture, and this it does extremely well. . . . Highly recommended for all high school, academic, and public libraries."

"Dolin enriches three centuries of history with an inspiring narrative, illustrating how the rise and fall of American whaling propelled our economy, society and international trading status. . . . The illustrations and photos themselves are worth the price of admission."

". . . anyone whose knowledge of whaling begins and ends with Moby-Dick will get a solid education from Mr. Dolin, who fills in the historical record and sets the stage for the glory years when men like Melville set out from Nantucket, New Bedford, Sag Harbor and dozens of other ports on voyages lasting as long as four years."

"Many people regard the hunting of whales as an archaic and even barbaric practice that threatens a magnificent, highly intelligent animal with extinction. The Japanese have been particularly scorched recently for their refusal to abide by various conventions to limit whaling. So it is useful, as well as very interesting, to be reminded of how integral a role whaling has played in our own national development. Dolin, who has written extensively on the marine world, has crafted a survey of the whaling industry over the past four centuries. It began in North America early in the seventeenth century and reached its peak in the mid-nineteenth century. Whaling was critical in the economic growth of New England, and whale products flooded international markets. Dolin provides wonderful, exhilarating accounts of whaling expeditions and illustrates just how dangerous the profession could be. He also describes (in sometimes gruesome detail) the industrialized processing of the fruits of the hunts. Even those adamantly opposed to the industry will find this to be a finely written account of a once-burgeoning industry."

"The historian Gordon Jackson once said that 'the origins of whaling are hidden in the mists of mythology and are, perhaps, best left there.' Lucky for us, however, there is Eric Jay Dolin. His new book, Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, is a rollicking and comprehensive read that succeeds in clearing away some, if not most, of that mist. The result is a narrative that expertly parses just how 'much of America's culture, economy, and in fact its spirit were literally and figuratively rendered from the bodies of whales' . . . Leviathan has all the ingredients of a good yarn: mutiny, murderous whales, heartless captains, landlocked tycoons, piracy, prostitution and stories of incredible bravery and Arctic survival. But it also is a unique lens through which to view the economic, political and cultural development of the United States. One comes away with a clear sense of just how integral the whaling industry -- which spanned three major wars, opened Japan, shouldered a burgeoning economy and, despite other shortcomings in the 'fairness' department, presaged abolition -- was in the shaping of our nation."

"Dolin compellingly examines whaling's importance to America's early growth and wealth . . . A densely researched and comprehensive portrait, enhanced by fascinating archival paintings and photos."

"Leviathan is a tale as epic as its subject, chronicling the heroic, tragic, and largely untold role of the whaling industry in America's history."

"This volume reads like a history of America through whaling. . . . With a historian's diligence and a trivia nuts eye for oddities. He reels in the big one."

"Eric Jay Dolin has written a remarkable book, broad in its scope but sharp in focus. . . . Numerous attempts have been made in the past 100 years to cover the subject all at once, however, only Dolin has managed to synthesize the enormous array of historical sources into one cohesive narrative. He not only reports the facts but he also contextualizes them, looks to their veracity and sensationalizes nothing. This is good popular history . . . No book is perfect, except perhaps The Old Man and the Sea, but Dolin has provided a beautiful renovation for an old structure."

"A rich historical account of the American whaling industry . . . Very readable, excellent for those interested in maritime history or the development of the American nation."

"captivating . . .what ultimately distinguishes "Leviathan" is Dolin's ability to show that, for generations, whaling was far less the romantic adventure of popular imagining (both past and present) than a purely, unapologetically economic engine helping to drive a young country from ambitious, increasingly aggrieved colony to world power. . . Leviathan succeeds because its author cares, and he makes us care, not only how war and commerce and fashion and politics and the hunting of great whales were linked to one another during America's early years but how those links (and, equally, their gradual, inevitable sundering) still echo, sometimes faintly, sometimes resoundingly, today. Dolin's book, filled with killing and death, bravery and ingenuity, greed and hubris, brings a murky, myth-shrouded past to vivid, messy life."

"There's . . . a lot to like . . . There's a deep American itch that this book aims to scratch. As long the great white whale keeps tormenting us, there will be a need to try to understand the depths that produced him, and why he won't leave us in peace. This book's achievement is a comforting completeness on a subject that remains uncomfortably resistant to closure."

"Fascinating . . . Wonderful study."

"hugely informative study . . . Leviathan is especially good is in showing exactly how American whaling wound down . . . Dolin fills in gaps in our knowledge."

"A much needed overhaul of our knowledge about the American whaling industry . . . Informative and cleverly written."

"The new standard survey of the American whaling experience."

"A riveting story and one that invites discussion of the history of human predation in the world's oceans."

"An uncommon history of American whaling . . . A rousing account of the men who went `down to the sea in ships' from the earliest days of this country."

"Engaging and fascinating account . . . that will benefit both scholars and the general public."

"Leviathan is a gem. Each chapter is a pleasure to read. . . . Dolin has clearly written a masterpiece."

"Unputdownable encyclopedic account. . . . It's a ripping yarn."

Introduction

From the moment the Pilgrims landed until the early twentieth century, whaling was a powerful force in the evolution of the country. Much of America's culture, economy, and, in fact its spirit were literally and figuratively rendered from the bodies of whales. Thousands of American ships manned by tens of thousands of men killed hundreds of thousands of whales, which were processed into products and profits that in turn created great fortunes, and spurred the formation and growth of the nation.

American whale oil lit the world. It was used in the production of soap, textiles, leather, paints, and varnishes, and it lubricated the tools and machines that drove the industrial revolution. The baleen cut from the mouths of whales shaped the course of feminine fashion by putting the hoop in hooped skirts and giving form to stomach-tightening and chest-crushing corsets. Spermaceti, that waxy substance from the heads of sperm whales, produced the brightest and cleanest burning candles the world has ever known, while ambergris, a by-product of a sperm whale's irritable bowel, gave perfumes great staying power and was worth its weight in gold.

The heroic and often tragic stories of American whalemen were renowned. They sailed the world's oceans and brought back tales filled with bravery, perseverance, endurance, and survival. They mutinied, murdered, rioted, deserted, drank, sang, spun yarns, scrimshawed, and recorded their musings and observations in journals and letters. They survived boredom, backbreaking work, tempestuous seas, floggings, pirates, putrid food, and unimaginable cold. Enemies preyed on them in times of war and competitors envied them in times of peace. Many whalemen died from violent encounters with whales and from terrible miscalculations about the unforgiving nature of nature itself. And through it all, whalemen, those "iron men in wooden boats" created a legacy of dramatic, poignant, and at times horrific stories that can still stir our emotions and animate the most primal part of our imaginations. "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme," proclaimed Herman Melville, and the epic story of whaling is one of the mightiest themes in American history.

This book was sparked by an image. A large, oval box in my house is painted with a primitive, powerful whaling scene. The image shows a whaleship with its sails unfurled, three whaleboats filled with men, and two whales that appear to be unnaturally buoyant, seemingly floating on top of the waves. Many times I gazed at that painting and wondered what it was like actually to go whaling. Having gone through the academic ritual of reading Moby-Dick in school, I already knew about whaling, especially the Golden Age during the mid-1800s. But the painting continued to stir my curiosity, and soon I discovered that there were libraries devoted to whaling, providing almost unlimited material for an historical narrative. This book then is my attempt to weave that material into a maritime tapestry that attempts to do justice to America's rich whaling heritage.

Whaling today is a highly controversial and emotionally explosive issue. The debate between those who favor commercial whaling and those that think it is barbaric and must be eliminated is played out, often daily, in the news. And even though America has an important and vocal role in that debate, it is not a subject that is covered here. Instead, Leviathan seeks to recreate what whaling was, not to address what it is or should be now. Similarly, this book does not pass judgment on American whalemen by applying the moral, ethical, and cultural sensitivities of modern times to the actions of those who operated and existed in a bygone era — one that ended during the early days of the American conservation movement and well before anyone had heard of environmentalism. While it is true that a few whalemen worried about driving whales to extinction, their concern revolved more around the viability of their industry, rather than the need to protect another species. To the whalemen, whales were swimming profit centers to be taken advantage of, not preserved. So, if you are looking for commentary on whether whaling should continue, you will be disappointed. But if you want to appreciate and marvel at the way in which whaling influenced the course of American history, read on.

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