redrobinbookreviews

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex   Nathaniel Philbrick
Another pretty interesting, though bloated, history of a single event, this time the sinking of an American whaleship by an enraged sperm whale in 1819. It captured Americans’ interest so much that both Poe and Melville wrote novels about it. Some interesting facts such as the information about Nantucket society, that 4/5ths of all whaling was done by American ships. Didn’t really like it that much.


What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848   Daniel Walker Howe
Detailed, thorough, over 800-page history of crucial decades in the development of the United States as a nation. Not as interested in the extensive details about political maneuvering and religious intensity, but they were, indeed, part of the time. Strange final chapter on the beginnings of feminism that seemed like a current academic requirement rather than an actual history of the period. Even with the stiff, rather lifeless prose, a lot of good information. Really glad I read it.