A “brilliant and provocative” (
The New Yorker
) celebration of Melville’s masterpiece—from the bestselling author of
In the Heart of the Sea, Valiant Ambition,
and
In the Hurricane's Eye
One of the greatest American novels finds its perfect contemporary champion in
Why Read
Moby-Dick?, Nathaniel Philbrick’s enlightening and entertaining tour through Melville’s classic. As he did in his National Book Award–winning bestseller
In the Heart of the Sea
, Philbrick brings a sailor’s eye and an adventurer’s passion to unfolding the story behind an epic American journey. He skillfully navigates Melville’s world and illuminates the book’s humor and unforgettable characters—finding the thread that binds Ishmael and Ahab to our own time and, indeed, to all times. An ideal match between author and subject,
Moby-Dick? will start conversations, inspire arguments, and make a powerful case that this classic tale waits to be discovered anew.
“Gracefully written [with an] infectious enthusiasm…”—
New York Times Book Review