The whale is an amazing creature in our world. He is a holdover from prehistoric times and attains a size larger than that of some prehistoric monsters. The blue whale reaches a length of 111 feet and a weight of between 120 and 150 tons.

Whales and whaling have inspired and made famous such men as Herman Melville, who gave us the great American classic, Moby Dick. More important, they have provided a means of fortune and an industry for many nations. During 1820-55 American whalers were undoubtedly the world's pace-setters in this industry. By 1835 there were more than 400 American whaling ships in the Pacific Ocean and the annual profit of one single ship was $54,000.

Whales have been hunted from Cape Horn to Greenland, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This book will take the reader to all these places and will describe the fabulous creatures hunted and the men and ships that hunted them. The very nature of the beast, the methods used in hunting him, and such sagas as Moby Dick have made of whaling a legend and an adventure.

From the dust jacket