Title: The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale: First-Person Accounts.
Author: Aaron Paddack, Jethro Macy, Herman Melville, Thomas Nickerson, Commodore Charles Goodwin Ridgely, Charles Wilkes, Rev. Daniel Tyerman & George Bennet, Esq., Thomas Chappel, Edward Dobson, (notes, edited and compiled with introduction by Nathaniel and Thomas Philbrick).
Genre: Non-fiction, nautical history, survival.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1821, 1831, 1851, 1876 (this collection, notes and introduction 2000).
Summary: In 1820 the Nantucket whaleship Essex, thousands of miles from home in the South Pacific, was rammed by an angry sperm whale. The Essex sank, leaving twenty crew members in open boats for ninety days, only eight of which were finally rescued. This is a collection of 2 major first-person accounts, as well as 3 letters, 2 commentaries and 4 excerpts. The Paddack Letter (1821) attributed to Diana's captain Aaron Paddack, who was presumably witness to Captain Pollard's account right after rescue, on the Dauphin, provides a detailed account of the disaster. The Macy Letter (1821) is attributed to Jethro Macy of Nantucket, who spoke to Owen Chase in the days after his arrival in Nantucket, and recorded his impressions. Annotations to the Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex (1851) by Herman Melville are a series of annotations Melville made while he was writing Moby Dick, and later on in life, while reading Chase's narrative, and of his impressions on meeting Chase himself. Nickerson's Letter (1976) from Thomas Nickerson to Leon Lewis was written in reply to specific questions Lewis had about the disaster after reading Nickerson's narrative, specifically pertaining to the sacrifice of Owen Coffin. Excerpt from Letterbook by the USF Constellation (1821) by Commodore Charles Goodwin Ridgely is a record he made of his impression of the survivors of the Essex. Excerpt from Autobiography of Rear Admiral Charles Wilkes, U.S. Navy, 1798-1877 by Charles Wilkes is the author's (then a 24-year-old midshipman in the U.S. schooner Waterwitch) account of his meeting with Captain George Pollard in August of 1822, then commanding the whaleship Two Brothers. Excerpt from Journal of Voyages and Travels (1831) by Rev. Daniel Tyerman and George Bennet, Esq. mentions when Bennet met Captain George Pollard in the Society Islands, shortly after the latter lost his second whaler at sea. Excerpt from an Account of the Loss of the Essex, Pamphlet No. 579., contributed to by Thomas Chappel is an account by the boatsteerer of the Essex who, along with two others, decided to stay behind on Henderson Island when the boats stumbled upon it, and later rescued. Excerpt from the Journal of the Surry (1821), attributed to Edward Dobson, the first mate of the Surry, the ship that rescued the 3 men that stayed behind on Henderson Island. Extracts: Memories and Apocrypha is a miscellany of variety of sources, not all reliable, that mention the Essex disaster. (Only the supplementary material in this post, refer to PART 1 for the 2 main narratives).

My rating: 8.5/10.
My review:

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Title: The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale: First-Person Accounts.
Author: Owen Chase and Thomas Nickerson (notes, edited and compiled with introduction by Nathaniel and Thomas Philbrick).
Genre: Non-fiction, nautical history, survival.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1821 and ~1870s (this collection, notes and introduction 2000).
Summary: In 1820 the Nantucket whaleship Essex, thousands of miles from home in the South Pacific, was rammed by an angry sperm whale. The Essex sank, leaving twenty crew members in open boats for ninety days, only eight of which were finally rescued. This is a collection of 2 major first-person accounts, as well as 3 letters, 2 commentaries and 4 excerpts. Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex (1821) by Owen Chase is the definitive first-person account of the tragedy, by the ship's first mate, in charge of one of the rescued boats. My First Voyage at Sea and Subsequent Loss of the Ship Essex (~1870s) by Thomas Nickerson is the account of the disaster written later in life by the cabin boy, who, at fifteen and on his first voyage, was also the youngest member of the crew. (Only the 2 main narratives in this post, refer to PART 2 for supplementary material).

My rating: 8.5/10.
My review:

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Title: The Essential Trudeau.
Author: Pierre Elliot Trudeau (edited by Ron Graham).
Genre: Non-fiction, politics, speeches, interviews.
Country: Canada.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1998 (excerpts from 1960s, 1970, 1974, and 1990).
Summary: Trudeau has always opposed the dominant ideology and what passes for conventional wisdom. This was true when he spoke out against the oppressive rule of Maurice Duplessis in Quebec. It was true in his years in Ottawa, as justice minister and prime minister, when he introduced controversial measures ranging from wage-and-price controls and restrictions on foreign investment, to expanded rights for homosexuals. It has remained true in the years since his retirement, particularly when he has taken issue with the more provocative expressions of Quebec nationalism and with federal initiatives with as Meech Lake and the Charlottetown Accord. Now neo-conservative ideas have taken over. Virtually every level of government in Canada is competing with the others to reduce the role of the state and eliminate constraints on business. Less government has come to mean a smaller role especially for the federal government. And the increased powers taken on by the provinces are being used, increasingly, to substitute private interests for the public good. The Canada that promoted equality, justice, and opportunity for all is under sustained attack. Never has the need for a clear statement of classic liberal principles been greater. In this book, Ron Graham has brought together a selection of excerpts from Trudeau's writings, speeches, and interviews to make a highly reasonable, lucid, and compelling summary of Trudeau's political beliefs. To each chapter in this selection Trudeau has provided an introduction and to many of the excerpts he has added a new commentary.

My rating: 8/10.
My review:

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Title: The Weiser Book of the Fantastic and Forgotten: Tales of the Supernatural, Strange, and Bizarre.
Author: Bram Stoker, H.D. Everett, M.R. James, Oscar Wilde, Richard Le Gallienne, Robert W. Chambers, H.P. Lovecraft, Sonia H. Greene, Charles Dickens, W.B. Yeats (compiled and edited by Judika Illes).
Genre: Fiction, literature, short stories.
Country: Ireland, England, Britain, U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 1887, 1895, 1897, 1904, 1912, 1914, 1917, 1920, 1922.
Summary: This volume collects 18 short stories. (Stories 1-9 in this post, refer to PART 1 for 10-18). In Dracula's Guest (1914) by Bram Stoker (originally a chapter of Dracula that was excised from the final product), Jonathan Harkness encounters an unexpected horror and receives unexpected help when he's lost in an abandoned village on a wintry Walpurgisnacht outside Munich, while on his way to Romania. In A Water Witch (1920) by H.D. Everett, a woman is summoned to the Scottish moors to take care of her new sister-in-law, who experiences strange auditory hallucinations and seems distressed by the local folklore, as well as her strange relationship with her Italian tutor. The Ash Tree (1904) by M.R. James is a tale of the dark and curious things that happen in the aftermath of a witch trial. The Canterville Ghost (1887) by Oscar Wilde is a humorous story about an ancient ancestral ghost, and the American family newly moved into his mansion that not only refuses to be frightened by him, but harasses the ghost right back. In The Haunted Orchard (1912) by Richard Le Gallienne, a man renting out a cottage for the summer encounters a ghost in its orchard, and learns a tragic love story. The Yellow Sign (1895) by Robert W. Chambers is a story where an artist and his model deal with a terrible and mysterious play, a horrible foreshadowing dream, and a mysterious but revolting church watchman that seems to haunt both their waking and dream lives. Dagon (1917) by H.P. Lovecraft is a testament of a tortured, morphine-addicted man who relates an incident that occurred during his service as an officer during World War I, when, stranded on an island, he came across an ancient and inhuman horror. In The Horror at Martin's Beach (1922) by H.P. Lovecraft and Sonia H. Greene, a giant, terrifying, ancient horror comes calling out of the stormy waves. In The Twisting of the Rope (1897) by W.B. Yeats, a concerned mother must take matters into her own hands when the infamous Owen "Red" Hanrahan, a schoolmaster said to have been kidnapped by the Celtic fairies, puts a wooing spell on her daughter during a celebration.

My rating: 8/10
My review:

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Title: Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds.
Author: Rachel Levin (essays by Brooke Borel, Bonnie Tsui, Chris Colin, Vanessa Hua, Samin Nosrat, Rebecca Flint Marx, Peter Orner, and Diana Kapp).
Genre: Non-fiction, how-to guides, animals, humour, essays.
Country: U.S.
Language: English.
Publication Date: 2018.
Summary: As humans encroach on wild places, encounters with animals—from bears, bison, mountain lions, and mice to turkeys, ticks, rats, and raccoons—have become increasingly commonplace. But, wait, what are the rules for facing a moose up close? Do you run from a coyote or stand your ground? How deadly, really, are black widow spiders, rattlesnakes, and sharks? Listed alphabetically from alligators to woodpeckers and packed with expert tips and fascinating animal facts, the book is a must-have survival guide for outdoor, urban, and suburban encounters alike. It also includes 10 essays of personal experiences (some excerpts from longer works on the subjects): In Ants in the Minivan by McKenzie Funk, the journalist describes his horrifying experience with ants in his car, and taking the power back. In Grizzlies in Alaska by Peter Fish, the writer recounts his experiences when his "vacation" turns out to be being dropped off alone on an island for a day to survive, where he encounters a mother bear and her cubs. Bed Bugs on My Mind by Brooke Borel is an excerpt describing her awful insomnia and experiences with bed-bugs. Cockroaches in New York (Of Course) by Bonnie Tsui is a classic New York tale of a bad cockroach infestation, a fancy, expensive pest-control device, and the horror that it resulted in. In Coyotes in my Face by Chris Colin, the journalist describes his first experience camping alone, and coming face-to-face with a coyote. In Deer in the Suburbs by Vanessa Hua, the author describes how hitting deer where she grew up was a right of passage, and the poignant lesson she learned while watching her biology teacher dissect a pregnant doe. Mice in the Backseat by Samin Nosrat is a cute story of the woman trying to get a mouse out of her car. Bunnies in the Backyard by Rebecca Flint Marx, the writer describes her love for bunnies in her childhood, and the memorable time when her dog had killed one. Raccoons in the Kitchen by Peter Orner is a humorous story about encountering two giant raccoons unapologetically feasting in one's kitchen. In Rats in the Bedroom by Diana Kapp, the writer describes living behind a construction site, and having her home overrun by rats as a result.

My rating: 7.5/10
My review:

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