Rites and Passages by Margaret S Creighton
This book contributes to what has recently been called a 'new social history of seafaring'. This new maritime history places sailors themselves at the center, not the periphery, of the maritime past, and explores ways that the history of the sea and the history of the shore have intersected. It differs from traditional accounts which celebrate exotic trades, powerful merchants, maritime technologies, and military exploits. Drawn on the evidence of nearly two hundred ship logs and sailors' diaries, Rites and Passages examines American whalemen at the height of the whaling industry in the 1800s and argues that whaling life and culture was shaped by both the American mainland and by the exigencies of ocean life. Unlike other published accounts of seafaring, this work brings gender into the maritime equation, not only with a discussion of the ways that women figured in this male world, but also with an examination of the ways that seafaring served as a rite of passage into manhood.
"..an intriquing probe of the heyday of the industry..." The Midwest Book Review
"In her informative, engaging book, Creighton...offers valuable insight into the existence of real-life Ishmaels and Ahabs at the height of the American whaling industry....Creighton's study isn't sunk by theoretical jargon; it's an accessible reconstruction of shipboard life and the feelings of sailors towards officers, each other and those left behind." Publishers Weekly
"Margaret Creighton has written a fascinating book on the world of whalemen in whaling's golden era. From her reading in more than two hundred diaries and letters, Creighton shows how factors such as gender, religion, and the profit motive produced the whalemen's rich and lively culture. This is an insightful piece of historical scholarship and a good story as well." E. Anthony Rotundo, author of American Manhood
"...a commendable analysis of the whaleman's experiences....Rites and Passages is important reading for anyone interested in American whaling....an essential reference for further work in this field." Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr., Nautical Research Journal
"...this is a book well worth reading. The depth of research alone is impressive. Frequent quotations from the sailors' diaries and letters allow the reader to form personal opinions of the matters at hand....She has created a convincing "chapter of human history." John F. Battick, International Journal of Maritime History
"...this remains a valuable and important book in a field that remains dominated, at least obliquely, by the genius of Melville." Stephen Innes, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"...artful and engaging....a well-written and beautifully illustrated book..." Simon P. Newman, The PA Magazine of History & Software
"Rites and Passages: The Experience of American Whaling, 1830-1870, Creighton takes the historiography of American Whaling well beyond its traditional boundaries to investigate issues as subtle and affective as gender identity, masculinity and femininity, the influence of race and class, and the rites of passage from adolescence into manhood. With this book, the ongoing conversation about the import and effect of American whaling has been advanced and updated significantly. Even the most casual student of whaling should have this intriguing book on his or her self." Glenn S. Gordinier, The Mariner's Museum Journal
"In her informative, engaging book, Creighton...offers valuable insight into the existence of real-life Ishmaels and Ahabs at the height of the American whaling industry....Creighton's study isn't sunk by theoretical jargon; it's an accessible reconstruction of shipboard life and the feelings of sailors towards officers, each other and those left behind." Publishers Weekly
"Margaret Creighton has written a fascinating book on the world of whalemen in whaling's golden era. From her reading in more than two hundred diaries and letters, Creighton shows how factors such as gender, religion, and the profit motive produced the whalemen's rich and lively culture. This is an insightful piece of historical scholarship and a good story as well." E. Anthony Rotundo, author of American Manhood
"...a commendable analysis of the whaleman's experiences....Rites and Passages is important reading for anyone interested in American whaling....an essential reference for further work in this field." Erik A.R. Ronnberg, Jr., Nautical Research Journal
"...this is a book well worth reading. The depth of research alone is impressive. Frequent quotations from the sailors' diaries and letters allow the reader to form personal opinions of the matters at hand....She has created a convincing "chapter of human history." John F. Battick, International Journal of Maritime History
"...this remains a valuable and important book in a field that remains dominated, at least obliquely, by the genius of Melville." Stephen Innes, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"...artful and engaging....a well-written and beautifully illustrated book..." Simon P. Newman, The PA Magazine of History & Software
"Rites and Passages: The Experience of American Whaling, 1830-1870, Creighton takes the historiography of American Whaling well beyond its traditional boundaries to investigate issues as subtle and affective as gender identity, masculinity and femininity, the influence of race and class, and the rites of passage from adolescence into manhood. With this book, the ongoing conversation about the import and effect of American whaling has been advanced and updated significantly. Even the most casual student of whaling should have this intriguing book on his or her self." Glenn S. Gordinier, The Mariner's Museum Journal
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780521484480 |
| ISBN 10 | 0521484480 |
| Title | Rites and Passages |
| Author | Margaret S Creighton |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 1995-12-14 |
| Number of pages | 252 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |