Why Read Moby-Dick?

One of the greatest American novels finds its perfect contemporary champion in Why Read Moby-Dick?, Nathaniel Philbrick's enlightening and entertaining tour through the world of Melville's classic. Alone among its peers, Moby-Dick's length and subject matter have always made it an intimidating read, and in a moment when our culture increasingly comes to us in bites and bytes, Philbrick shows why this book will always deserve our time and capture our imagination. 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 skilfully 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, Why Read Moby-Dick? will start conversations, inspire arguments, and make a powerful case that this classic tale still waits to be discovered anew.