Cindy Vallar's Blog - Posts Tagged "sealing"

Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World by Eric Jay Dolin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


On the cusp of the War of 1812, an American ship sets sail on a sealing expedition. The master, Charles Bernard, and the owners understand the risks, but if this venture proves successful, the skins and oil will garner them a sizable profit.

Although Charles is captain of this expedition, he is not the only master aboard. In fact, there are four others. Three sign on as partners in the venture; the fourth is Charles’s father. The remaining members of the expedition are eight crewmen and Charles’s dog, Cent.

Nanina reaches the Falklands on 7 September 1812. With five masters aboard, strife becomes an issue – one that is aggravated when another ship arrives with a letter from the owners. Since war has been declared between the United States and Great Britain, the owners urge Charles and the others to come home, but they ignore the request. As a result, their later encounter with shipwrecked passengers and crew from a British brig will have dire consequences for the Americans despite a peaceful accord with the survivors. Some will become prisoners of war; Charles and four others become stranded on one of the Falklands where they face inhospitable conditions for more than a year.

Black-and-white pictures depict people, floral, fauna, and places throughout the book; there is also a color section of photographs. The galley lacks an index, but it will be included in the published book. Much of the information imparted comes from period journals and documents.

Few readers will be aware of this historical event, one earmarked by betrayal, danger, and survival. Dolin does a masterful job of relating what transpires in a way that reads more like adventure fiction. He makes it clear from the start that this is not a treatise or exposé on seal hunting; this is a recounting of what happened and how it unfolded during a time of war and a time when sealing was an acceptable commercial venture. Human strengths and frailties are vividly recounted in ways that make readers wonder how such events can occur, and yet, viewing them through a modern lens, makes it clear that human nature hasn’t really changed much in the two centuries separating this event and today.


This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Dolin.html...




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