Wohndeko

Eine fabelhafte und überraschende historische Betrachtung

5 von 5 Punkten
Die vielen Exkurse in wissenschaftliche Betrachtungen von Krisenbewältigung, Einflüsse von Hunger und Durst auf den Körper und auf den Geist und die allgemeine Einstellung der Menschen am Anfang des 19. Jahrhunderts zu Kannibalismus auf See sorgen dafür, dass dem Thema das Sensationslüsterne genommen wird, was das Gehörte zum Teil wesentlich eindringlicher mach, als ein entsprechender unkommentierter Bericht durch einen Überlebenden.

A WHALE OF A TALE...

5 von 5 Punkten
This is a first rate, well crafted work of non-fiction. The author has a gift for putting together a compelling narrative about the unusual ordeal of the whale ship, Essex, which sailed out of Nantucket and was done in on the high seas by an extremely aggressive sperm whale who attacked it. So complete was the damage that the ship sank, its crew of twenty cast adrift upon a seemingly infinite ocean to find their way back home in three small boats. This real life, unheard of attack by a whale was the basis for Herman Melville's classic work of fiction, "Moby Dick".
What the author does is ground what happened to these most unfortunate of men in the historical context of the time. He paints a picture of the milieu in which they lived. Their lives were governed entirely by the whaling industry that was the bread and butter for Nantucket Island, the whaling capital of the world.
Drawing upon narratives by some of the survivors, as well as other historical data, he paints in intricate detail what life must have been like for these men. He weaves a tapestry of early nineteenth century life on the island of Nantucket and the preeminence of whaling in the lives of those who lived there, as well as the role of the Quakers. In essence, he brings the men, who were involved in this most notorious of survival at sea stories, to life for the reader.
It is a balanced narrative. This was to be the first voyage as Captain for the democratic George Pollard, who was teamed up with a very aggressive and ambitious first mate, Owen Chase. This was later to prove to be a poor combination. Nearly a third of the crew was African-American, which was an interesting twist, arising out of the abolitionist views of the Quakers, whose views were the mainstay of Nantucket. Most of the crew was very young, the cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, being but fourteen years of age.
When the Essex was attacked while on the high seas by a gigantic, aggressive sperm whale and destroyed in the process, the story of the what happened to the crew makes for one of the most engrossing and amazing stories of survival ever to be told. Against the odds, eight of them survived their ordeal, which lasted for months. Dehydration and starvation were to drive them to a new frontier of human behavior. That threshold, however, once crossed, was one that would forever haunt those who survived. Their agonizing journey and foray into anthropophagy is chillingly chronicled.
This is a riveting and triumphant book. It is a tale richly told by a masterful storyteller, who is able to make this work of non-fiction come to life for the reader. This is simply a great book.

An excellent book

5 von 5 Punkten
This true tale is utterly engrossing; the tragedy of the sinking of the Essex by a whale, the struggle of the survivors in their flimsy boats, the sometimes heartbreaking decisions they have to make to try to ensure their further survival-it all reads like an adventure novel of the very best sort. So many
years after it happened you will find yourself moved and grieving for the men of the Essex in their struggles.
Very detailed research has gone into this book; the reader learns about Nantucket in the 19th century, the whaling industry, life and work on a whaleboat, and it is all highly interesting and informative.
Mr. Philbrick is a wonderful storyteller; he carefully honors the facts given in the accounts of actual survivors, yet occasionally suggests thoughtful alternate explanations-I found for instance his ideas as to why the first four crewmembers to die were all African-Americans very insightful.
Go on and get this book-you will be glad you did, and it's story will stay with you long after you're done reading it.

A WHALE OF A TALE...

5 von 5 Punkten
This is a first rate, well crafted work of non-fiction. The author has a gift for putting together a compelling narrative about the unusual ordeal of the whale ship, Essex, which sailed out of Nantucket and was done in on the high seas by an extremely aggressive sperm whale who attacked it. So complete was the damage that the ship sank, its crew of twenty cast adrift upon a seemingly infinite ocean to find their way back home in three small boats. This real life, unheard of attack by a whale was the basis for Herman Melville's classic work of fiction, "Moby Dick".

What the author does is ground what happened to these most unfortunate of men in the historical context of the time. He paints a picture of the milieu in which they lived. Their lives were governed entirely by the whaling industry that was the bread and butter for Nantucket Island, the whaling capital of the world.

Drawing upon narratives by some of the survivors, as well as other historical data, he paints in intricate detail what life must have been like for these men. He weaves a tapestry of early nineteenth century life on the island of Nantucket and the preeminence of whaling in the lives of those who lived there, as well as the role of the Quakers. In essence, he brings the men, who were involved in this most notorious of survival at sea stories, to life for the reader.

It is a balanced narrative. This was to be the first voyage as Captain for the democratic George Pollard, who was teamed up with a very aggressive and ambitious first mate, Owen Chase. This was later to prove to be a poor combination. Nearly a third of the crew was African-American, which was an interesting twist, arising out of the abolitionist views of the Quakers, whose views were the mainstay of Nantucket. Most of the crew was very young, the cabin boy, Thomas Nickerson, being but fourteen years of age.

When the Essex was attacked while on the high seas by a gigantic, aggressive sperm whale and destroyed in the process, the story of the what happened to the crew makes for one of the most engrossing and amazing stories of survival ever to be told. Against the odds, eight of them survived their ordeal, which lasted for months. Dehydration and starvation were to drive them to a new frontier of human behavior. That threshold, however, once crossed, was one that would forever haunt those who survived. Their agonizing journey and foray into anthropophagy is chillingly chronicled.

This is a riveting and triumphant book. It is a tale richly told by a masterful storyteller, who is able to make this work of non-fiction come to life for the reader. This is simply a great book.

complete waste of money

1 von 5 Punkten
Save your money- this very thin, very uninformative diary is completely not worth it. I have read just about everything from Paul Bowles and thought I might get some insight on his life in Tangiers near the end, but alas, was disappointed. The author himself more or less states at the beginning that he cannot imagine anyone finding the piece interesting, and he was right.

Immediate, comprehensive; interesting portrait of Bowles.

5 von 5 Punkten
Paul Bowles has been of interest to me ever since I read THE SHELTERING SKY so many years ago. Now with DAYS: TANGIER JOURNAL, the reader gets a behind-the-scenes of one of the most enigmatic writers of the twentieth century. The landscape and people of Tangier, Morocco are expertly painted in all their mysterious charm as Bowles simultaneously deflates and expands upon his own legend. If you are interested in Bowles, this book is a must read for the insight that it gives, insights not necessarily illuminated upon in the average Bowles biography or documentary. Bowles is self-effacing but his contribution to fiction is huge, and this book is like looking through a door, cracked half-open, at the man himself in all his many facets. Morocco itself also figures large in Bowles' art, and the reader gets a real taste of that exotic locale with all its danger and N. African wonder.

Elucidating

5 von 5 Punkten
Dava Sobel presents in an entertainingly written style the competition of scientists approx. 200 years ago. She writes this novel without resorting to mathematical formulae. First, she describes that Longitude poses a problem to be solved. The British government even sets out a relatively huge prize money.

Next, she introduces the main rivals - almost like in a crime story.

Mr. Harrison, a formerly unknown watchmaker built a clock that was technically superior to all others. Clocks that were used in that time suffered from the disadvantage, that certain metal components either contracted or extended depending on whether they were exposed to heat or coldness in different climates of the earth. Mr. Harrison solved this problem by including different brass and metals. As a consequence, this watch compensated automatically for temperature differences on different places of this planet.

On the other side were the Royal Astronomers, who attempt to solve the problem using the revolutions of the moon around the earth w/ reference to prior mapped out stars. One of the proponents of this way also served on the board that distributed the prize. Thus, there was a certain conflict of interest.

She convinces the reader of political manoeuvrings. From a 21st century perspective, this rings a bell, when a scientific prize is at stake.

belletristisches Sachbuch

5 von 5 Punkten
Das Buch gibt sehr interessante Einblicke in das Leben eines wahren Erfinders. Die Erläuterungen werden in einen Roman verpackt und sind bei vollem Informationsgehalt äußerst spannend und kurzweilig geschrieben. Dank der tatsächlichen Geschehnisse baut sich selbst in diesem informativen Buch ein gewisser Spannungsbogen auf.
Auch als Deutscher ist das Buch in Englisch gut zu lesen.

Great !

5 von 5 Punkten
Interessant und leicht verständlich! Für alle, die schon mal in Greenwich auf dem Nullten Längengrad standen, für alle Segler und alle, die sich für Geographie interessieren !

Disappointing

3 von 5 Punkten
An entertaining quick read, this account of John Harrison's amazing timepieces left me thoroughly unfulfilled. I expected at least *one* diagram of the mechanism of each of his clocks, and at least a bare description of how the internal mechanisms operated. This book fails on both accounts. (I believe the illustrated edition has pictures but no descriptions, btw.)
I suppose I shouldn't have expected more from an author who makes her living as a reporter, but these critical omissions were frustrating, to say the least.