The lethal industry that lit the world, explained and illustrated by precise photographs of its weapons and equipment.The Hunted Whale is a spectacular photographic

The Hunted Whale

The lethal industry that lit the world, explained and illustrated by precise photographs of its weapons and equipment.
The Hunted Whale is a spectacular photographic exploration of the material culture of American whaling in the age of sail. Before the coming of steam and diesel ships with instruments of mechanized slaughter, the hunt was a relatively even contest between two wily mammalsâ€•man and the sperm whale. The danger that lurked in each hunt can be seen in the ultra-light cedar construction of the whale boat that the men â€œbeachedâ€ on the living whaleâ€™s back. The gnarled and twisted shapes of surviving harpoons document the tenacity of the hunters as well as the wounded whaleâ€™s manic attempt to break free. Many aspects of the sperm whaleâ€™s unusual physiology are illustrated here, as are the whalerâ€™s personal belongings: hats, gloves, and scrimshawâ€•the intricate carvings he made on the whaleâ€™s teeth.
Expertly curated and beautifully shot, this magnificent photo essay takes the viewer to the New England ports of a fledgling America as it struggled to dominate a global industry. Amazing facts, explanatory notes, and tales from the sea, representing the fruit of years of research, accompany James McGuaneâ€™s over 250 masterful photographs. McGuane looks to identify the various motivations that turned ordinary men into whale hunters. He discovers adventure, greed, courage, escape, gullibility and ignorance.
The book also includes a riveting firsthand account of the hunt, excerpted from naturalist Robert Cushman Murphyâ€™s Logbook for Grace, a diary he kept of his time aboard the whaleship Daisy in 1912. With The Hunted Whale, McGuane delivers an engrossing and humane snapshot of a now-vanished age that helped forge the American nation as we know it.
245 color photographs
Country USA
Brand W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer W. W. Norton & Company
Binding Hardcover
PartNumber 9780393069129
Height 11.3
Length 9.6
Weight 3.15040572398
Width 1
ReleaseDate 2013-10-14
NumberOfItems 1

Country	USA
Brand	W. W. Norton & Company
Manufacturer	W. W. Norton & Company
Binding	Hardcover
PartNumber	9780393069129
Height	11.3
Length	9.6
Weight	3.15040572398
Width	1
ReleaseDate	2013-10-14
NumberOfItems	1

The Hunted Whale

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