The Whale: In Search of the Giants of the Sea

I was expecting The Whale to be just that, a book about whales. And it is, but it is so much more. The Whale is a meditation on whales, on Moby Dick, on loss, on whaling, on history, even on life. Philip Hoare writes from a position of deep knowledge as well as deep love, and he writes about his subjects—whales, Herman Melville, whalers, whaling ships—as a starting point for his thoughts about vast themes—history, loss, loneliness, human connections—eloquently, almost following the model of his much-admired author, Melville himself.

The Whale is a perfect book to read alongside Moby Dick. I recommend watching Philip Hoare's documentary, The Hunt for Moby Dick, too.