Away Off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890 [Paperback]

A book about a tiny island with a huge history, from the New York Timesbestselling author of Valiant Ambition andIn the Hurricane's Eye.

“For everyone who loves Nantucket Island this is the indispensable book.” —Russell Baker

In his first book of history, Nathaniel Philbrick reveals the people and the stories behind what was once the whaling capital of the world. Beyond its charm, quaint local traditions, and whaling yarns, Philbrick explores the origins of Nantucket in this comprehensive history. From the English settlers who thought they were purchasing a “Native American ghost town” but actually found a fully realized society, through the rise and fall of the then thriving whaling industry, the story of Nantucket is a truly unique chapter of American history.“Nathaniel Philbrick has written a gem of a book.Away Off Shoreis meticulously detailed, filled with fine anecdotes, and a fascinating look at a fascinating place.” —H. G. Bissinger, author ofFriday Night Lights

“Away Off Shoredoesn’t recount more of the same heroic stories we’ve all heard about early Nantucketers . . . Instead the author gives us—finally—a human story of real Nantucketers whose actions reflect the times and the hardships they endured trying to make a life on this island centuries ago.” —Nantucket Inquirer and MirrorNathaniel Philbrickis the author ofIn the Heart of the Sea, winner of the National Book Award;Mayflower, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize;Bunker Hill, winner of the New England Book Award;Sea of Glory;The Last Stand;Why Read Moby Dick?; andAway Off Shore. He lives in Nantucket. His new book,Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution, will be published in May 2016.US