Owen Chase

Owen Chase (1797 – 1869) was an American sailor and first mate aboard the whaling ship Essex, which was struck by a sperm whale and sank in 1820. This event inspired Herman Melville's 'Moby-Dick'. Chase wrote a narrative of the ordeal, titled 'Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-Ship Essex', which details the survival story of the crew as they were adrift at sea for more than 90 days.

Books

This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.

  1. 1. Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex

    Cover of 'Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex' by Owen Chase

    This book is a first-hand account of the infamous maritime disaster involving the sinking of a whaleship by a sperm whale in the South Pacific. It chronicles the harrowing experiences of the ship's crew who were left stranded in the open sea for months. The survivors faced starvation, dehydration, and resorted to cannibalism in their desperate struggle for survival. The narrative serves as a testament to human endurance and resilience in the face of extreme adversity.