Description
Nestled at the bottom of an old leather trunk for well over a century lay a forgotten manuscripta long-lost story the authors great-great-grandson has now brought to life. At the heart of A Whaler at Twilight is the true account of an American whaler who embarked on a harrowing adventure in the South Pacific during the mid-nineteenth century in search of absolution and redemption. After the deaths of his parents, young Robert Armstrong lived with a successful unclea well-respected Methodist shopkeeper in bustling 1840s Baltimoreand attended the nations first dental school. But Armstrong threw his future away, drinking himself into oblivion. Devoured by guilt and shame, in December 1849 he sold his dental instruments, his watch, and all other possessions and signed on for a whaling voyage departing from New Bedford.
Decades later, Armstrong wrote an autobiographical account based on his travel logs, chronicling his thrilling, gritty experiences during his ten years overseas. His memoirs describe his encounters with other whalers, beachcombers, Peruvian villagers, Pacific Islanders, Maori warriors in New Zealand, cannibals on Fiji, and the impacts of American expansionism. He also recounted his struggles with drink, his quest for God, and his own redemption.
Armstrongs gripping personal account is bookended by thoroughly researched contextual background compiled by Alexander Brash, a noted professional conservationist. Brash fills out Armstrongs intimate and timeless tale by shedding further light on whaling and its impacts, his ancestors religious milieu, and the importance of marine conservation today. A Whaler at Twilight is a fascinating dive into both human morality and American history.
Author: Alexander R. Brash, Robert W. Armstrong
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 09/05/2023
Pages: 352
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.30w x 1.60d
ISBN: 9781493074761
Language: English
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