content: This is one of my favorite books of all time. The shocking sinking of the Essex (the inspiration for Moby Dick) is only the beginning of what the author turns into a gut-wrenching tale of a handful of sailors desperately trying to stave off starvation, thirst and madness as they try to make it from the middle of the Pacific back to South America. Philbrick's writing is clear, powerful and incredibly engaging. It's a hard book to both put down and get out of your mind after finishing it.