The Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex recounts one of the greatest real-life sea adventures of all time. This faithful Warbler Classics edition reproduces First Mate Owen Chase's riveting original 1821 account of the sinking of the Essex by an enormous whale and the fates that befell her twenty-man crew. Those who survived endured months of stormy seas in small boats, insufferable heat, hopelessness, hunger, and thirst. The gruesome, harrowing tale-full of suspense, surprise, and terror-inspired Herman Melville's 1851 classic Moby Dick as well multiple film adaptations, including In the Heart of the Sea, directed by Ron Howard, based on Nathaniel Philbrick's book.

This annotated edition includes two additional first-hand accounts of the catastrophe, a detailed chronology of events, biographical information on each crew member, and Herman Melville's notes concerning the Essex.