More catching up on books...

The Whole Bible Story

Marty, W., Dr.

Dr. Marty does what Josephus did some 2000+ years ago - he writes a chronological historical account (not a secular one) of the Bible. While Josephus’ work was just the Old Testament - which was all there was in his time - Marty includes both Testaments. Marty’s account is therefore more complete, as the lines between the prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, and his actual appearance, can be drawn between the two Testaments. Both writers include plentiful accounts of God’s role in the Old Testament, and of course borrow heavily from it (it is their only source material). Dr. Marty’s account reads well, but there’s something about Josephus’ account that I found more intriguing, based on his other self-serving writings. A good chronological reference, but no substitute for the Bible.
5/10

Beyond the Frontier - Dreadnaught

Campbell, J.

7th book in the series (enough already?)
The government brings Black Jack back to investigate the aliens (the enigma race). The odd part is that they aren’t telling him everything, and neither are the gov’t emissaries. They go deep into alien space to force a dialog, but they won’t communicate. They rescue some prisoners, and begin their jump away, right into the face of a different group of powerful, hostile aliens. How will they ever get away? If I want to find out, I have to get the next book…
6/10

HMS Surprise

O’Brian, P.

Third book in the series.
Aubrey returns from his huge success in the Atlantic, only to find that the Admiralty that the prize for taking enemy Indiamen (worth millions) was the property of the Crown, and he would get minimal prize money. This winds him in debtor’s prison until a partial payment could be made. After that, he finds out that Maturin has been captured, and is being tortured. He is ordered to disrupt enemy commerce in the Mediterranean, while in temporary command of Lively, and captures a French gunboat. He uses it to gain access to the harbor close to where Maturin is being held, and accomplishes a daring rescue. On Maturin’s return, he fanangles a new ship for Aubrey, HMS Surprise, this time a keeper, and off they go to India. There, Maturin is reunited with Valliers, but it ends badly with her going off to America to marry someone else. Aubrey then mounts a heroic rescue of the China Fleet, and its precious cargo. He is financially rewarded, and looks forward to his marriage to the lovely Sophie. Meanwhile, Marurin kills Canning in a duel, operates on himself to remove Canning’s shot from his own chest(!)
7/10

In The Heart of the Sea

(The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex)
Philbrick, N.

An interesting tale about the loss of the Nantucket Whaleship Essex - by ramming by a whale! That’s right; a large bull sperm whale actually rammed this ship - twice! The second assault cracked a gaping hole in the hull near the bow, causing it to rapidly take on water, capsize, and eventually sink - in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There were 5 survivors...

The loss of the ship stranded 20-odd crew in three flimsy 30-foot, 6-man whaleboats - overloaded with as much water, food and equipment that they could manage to rescue from their sinking whaleship. After the sinking, the Captain and officers decided to make for South America - against headwinds - a voyage of 3000 miles or more. This, rather than the preferably shorter voyage (with tailwinds) to one of many south Pacific islands - for fear of encountering hostile cannibals. Unfortunately, the Captain and officers were unaware that they were very unlikely to encounter anything like that, as Whaleships were making regular stops on many of those islands by that time…

As they neared the end of their water supply, and still far from South America, the happened upon Henderson Island, a lump of rock, where they were able to find food, and a limited source of water. After exhausting the island’s resources, they set out again for South America, leaving 3 behind. Soon, one of the boats was lost. The other two were soon separated, and still too far from their destination, ran out of food, and eventually water. Their starvation was gradual (over 3 months), as they rationed both food and water. The first men to succumb were buried at sea. After that, they had little choice but to eat the dead. Interestingly (and perhaps suspiciously), the first eaten were the black sailors hailing from the mainland. Then the non-Nantucketers, and finally the Nantuketers.

The book gives a lot of back-info on the closed, Quaker-based nature of Nantucket society in the early 1800s. There were originally Indigenous people on the island, and they were commonly used to fill out crews on the early Whaleships. However, they eventually died out from disease, and were gradually replaced by poor, white mainlanders, and African Americans from Massetussets and New York. Interesting to note that ships bringing black sailors to Nantucket from the mainland were called “slavers”...

A lot of background info provided as well on the Whaleship technology, the crew makeup and life aboard in the early 1800s.

The book wraps up with some info on the story of the survivors after their ordeal. The captain managed to lose his next ship as well, and never again had a chance to go to sea. The first mate, who may be responsible for the survival of the crew, had a prosperous career in the whaling business, but died of complications related to the Essex ordeal. (Interesting to note that he had a chance to kill the giant whale before the fatal blow, but didn’t for some reason). The cabin boy managed to survive, continued with whaling, and then retired as a hotel owner. He is credited with some key information on what happened during the ordeal.

Great read.
7/10