Description
Author: Frances Diane Robotti
Publisher: Bonanza Books, New York
Format: Hardcover (no dust jacket, as issued on many Bonanza reprints)
Edition Statement: 1961 edition, published by arrangement with Crown Publishers
Condition: Very Good to Near Fine — clean boards, tight binding, no creased pages, and beautifully preserved illustrations.
Whaling and Old Salem accurately and vividly describes in stirring narrative early America's most romantic and picturesque industry, the terror of unchartered seas, the perils of rounding the Cape of Good Hope into the Pacific Ocean -- favorite of whaling theaters -- the conflict of a few men in open whaleboats with the colossal sea monster, the danger of the chase, hunger, mutiny, shipwreck, storms, boredom and triumph; how they whaled, the rules of the game, the weapons, the heroism in victory and defeat, the conversion of blubber into oil, and interminable four-year whaling voyages.
Although our edition does not have a dustcover it is in perfect condition. There are no creased pages and there are wonderful illustrations.
Description
Whaling and Old Salem is one of those books that instantly transports you to another world—this time onto 19th-century whaling ships braving uncharted seas. Frances Diane Robotti brings early America's most dramatic maritime industry to life with vivid storytelling: perilous Cape Horn passages, open-boat hunts for massive whales, storms, shipwrecks, long voyages, boredom, bravery, and the astonishing process of turning blubber into oil.
This Bonanza Books edition (1961) is wonderfully preserved despite lacking a dust jacket. The pages are uncreased, the binding is strong, and the illustrations—rich, historical, and atmospheric—make it feel like a window into the past.
If you love maritime history, New England lore, or books that capture a time when adventure was a profession, this is a perfect addition to your shelf. It also makes an excellent gift for readers who enjoy historical nonfiction or nautical narratives.
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