Sunk: Terror and Survival on the High Seas
LIT9-5a-Tue3
Fred Kobrick
This course will take place virtually on Zoom. Participation requires a device (ideally a computer or tablet, rather than a cell phone) with a camera and microphone in good working order and basic familiarity with using Zoom and accessing email.
March 11 - April 8
In The Heart of the Sea is a true story the NY Times called “a masterpiece of maritime history.” Written by Nathaniel Philbrick, this thriller won the National Book Award. Philbrick, both a great historian and great writer, depicts how and why Nantucket became one of the richest places on Earth in the early 1800’s. The greed and desire for adventure propelled ships from Nantucket to seek ever more distant sperm whales in hope of making the captains’ fortunes. However, not all whaling ships achieved their aspirations. In this epic tale of survival at sea, we will discuss the themes of teamwork, competition, and the crew’s encounters with primitive peoples. When the whaling ship Essex is attacked by a monster whale, hardship and tragedy unmask both the darker side of human nature and the indomitable human spirit to survive. This true story directly led to Herman Melville writing the great American novel Moby Dick.
More facilitated discussion than lecture.
Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea
About 1 ½ hours reading per week.
Fred Kobrick managed one of the top 5 mutual funds in the country for 15 years. He has a BA in economics from Boston University and an MBA in finance from Harvard. Fred has led a number of BOLLI classes, including “Great Companies, Great Stocks,” “Cotton, Capitalism, and Globalization,” and courses on China’s foreign policy. He has taught several graduate programs at Boston University on diverse topics such as finance, economics, the global history of slavery, and additional subjects from a book he has authored.