Part 1 Arrival and Ascent, 1614-1774
1. John Smith Goes Whaling 17
2. "The King of Waters, The Sea-Shouldering Whale" 30
3. All Along the Coast 41
4. Nantucket, the "Faraway Land" 63
5. The Whale's Whale 75
6. Into "Ye Deep" 90
7. Candle Wars 109
8. Glory Days 119
Part 2 Tragedy and Triumph, 1775-1860
9. On the Eve of Revolution 139
10. Ruin 149
11. Up from the Ashes 165
12. Knockdown 188
13. The Golden Age 205
14. "An Enormous, Filthy Humbug" 253
15. Stories, Songs, Sex, and Scrimshaw 275
16. Mutinies, Murders, Mayhem, and Malevolent Whales 282
Part 3 Disaster and Decay, 1861-1924
17. Stones in the Harbor and Fire on the Water 309
18. From the Earth 335
19. Ice Crush 342
20. Fading Away 353
Epilogue: Fin Out 370
Notes 375
Select Bibliography 453
Illustration Credits 461
Acknowledgments 463
Index 467