Never in the history of whale hunting had a ship been attacked by a whale. But on November 20, 1820, the unthinkable happened: the whaleship Essex was rammed and sunk by an angry whale. In minutes, the twenty-man crew (several of whom were only teenagers) found themselves stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in three leaky boats with minimal supplies and little hope. Three months later, two of the boats were rescued off the coast of South America. The castaways had sailed over 4,500 miles from the site of the disaster, an incredible distance. But of the twenty men, only eight survived. Through first-hand accounts -- including that of fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson -- as well as archival photos, maps, and artwork, Revenge of the Whale stunningly re-creates the dire circumstances of the ill-fated Essex. How these young men overcame hunger, thirst, fear, and the near loss of their humanity is a story as exciting and shocking as any ever told. - Jacket flap.