Gone A-Whaling

Starred review from May 1, 1998
Gr 6 Up-A lively, engaging, and well-researched book. The opening chapters look at what enticed young men and boys to sign on for whaling voyages. Later chapters go into the actual hunt, describing in great detail the equipment, procedures, and lifestyles aboard the vessels from the earliest times through the 20th century. The historical emphasis is on American whaling, although some ships from other countries are also described. Murphy combines excerpts from many firsthand accounts-diaries, letters, ships' logs, and journals-always identifying the writer by name and age, and then adds profuse background information about various historical and scientific aspects of his subject. Numerous black-and-white drawings and paintings from the early days and actual photographs of more recent times add immediacy and authenticity. Occasional sidebars describe various species of whales. Murphy clearly expresses his sympathy for the hunted mammals, although he also mentions the dangers to the sailors and the needs and sensibilities of earlier times that made this a necessary and attractive enterprise. The awe and majesty of the great whale are expressed throughout the book in the many quotes describing face-to-face confrontations between whaler and whale, as well as in Murphy's description of his own close-up meeting with a whale on a New England whale watch. With its attractive layout, decorative chapter headings, and clear readable text, Gone A-Whaling is as inviting as it is interesting and informative.-Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA

March 15, 1998
Gr. 7^-12. Diary entries form the backbone of this fascinating look at whale hunting in America, from the nineteenth century to today. Murphy structures his tale like a whaling voyage, beginning with the thrill of signing up for duty and ending with a grateful trip home. In between, he describes life and work aboard the ship, including the grisly techniques for killing, harvesting, and processing the enormous animals. Primary sources support an emotionally rich narrative, filled with the thoughts of the young men and boys as they move between excitement and boredom, boundless energy and exhaustion. Murphy also looks at women who went whaling and the number of vessels crewed or captained by African Americans. Two final chapters examine the slaughter made possible by the steam engine and the cruelly efficient factory ships of today. Murphy occasionally scolds nineteenth-century whalers for their harsh approach, rather than explaining their lack of knowledge about the sophisticated creatures they hunted. The book is beautifully illustrated with black-and-white photos and engravings, and a sprinkling of sidebars supplies details about the most hunted whale species. ((Reviewed March 15, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)