A reading and reference list.

Ashley, Clifford W., The Yankee Whaler. Mineola, New York. Dover Publications, Inc., 1991, ISBN: 0-486-26854-3

Bockstoce, John R., Whales, Ice, & Men. The History of Whaling in the Western Arctic. Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1986, ISBN: 0-295-96318-2

Church, Albert Cook, Whale Ships and Whaling (First Edition). New York, W.W. Norton & Co. 1938

Dolin, Eric Jay, Leviathan The History Of Whaling in America. New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 2007, ISBN: 978-0-393-33157-8

Hegarty, Reginald B., Returns Of Whaling Vessels Sailing From American Ports. A Continuation of Alexander Starbuck’s “History Of Whaling in America". New Bedford MA., The Old Dartmouth Historical Society and Whaling Museum. 1959.

Philbrick, Nathaniel, In The Heart Of The Sea. The Tragedy Of The Whaleship Essex. New York, 2000, ISBN: 978-0-14-100-182-1

Leavitt, John F., The Charles W. Morgan (Second Edition). Mystic CT., Mystic Seaport Museum, Inc., 1998, ISBN: 0-913372-10-2

Lundy, Derek, The Way of A Ship. A Square-Rigger Voyage in the Last Days Of Sail. New York, HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2002, ISBN: 0-06-621012-7

Smyth, W. H. Admiral., The Sailor’s Word-Book. (Reprint). Ontario, Canada, Algrove Publishing Limited, 2004, ISBN: 1-897030-05-3

Songini, Marc, The Lost Fleet. A Yankee Whaler’s Struggle Against The Confederate Navy and Arctic Disaster. New York, St. Martin’s Press, 2007, ISBN: 0-312-28648-1

Sherman, Stewart C., The Voice of the Whaleman, With an Account of the Nicholson Whaling Collecton., Providence RI., Providence Public Library, 1965.

Starbuck, Alexander., History Of The American Whale Fishery. 1876; reprint, Secaucus, NJ., 1989, ISBN: 1-55521-537-8

If you are just learning about whaling I would suggest reading these authors from the list above. Leavitt, Ashley, Dolin and Philbrick.

I found Leavitt, Dolin and Ashley's books to be very readable and all three provided great insight into the life of nineteenth century whaling ships, whalers and the whaling industry.

Philbrick's book chronicles the doomed 1819 voyage of the whaling ship Essex and it's crew. It is considered to be the inspiration for the story of Moby Dick the 1851 novel written by Herman Melville.

Dolin and Philbrick's books should be available in paperback at any of the larger chain bookstores.

Don't forget to look in your used bookstores for copies of most of the books in the list above.

If your lucky maybe you'll find your own copy of Starbuck's. Starbuck's is a must have book if your researching whaling.

If your real lucky Hegarty would be a great find.