Moby Dick was written by an American Novelist, Herman Melville. Herman was born on August 1st in 1819 in New York and was the son of Allen Melville, a well to do importer of fashionable clothes. When the war broke out in 1812 between Britain and the United States, Herman's father's business failed and his father died in 1832, his mind unbalanced by the misfortunes of his business.
Herman went on to attend an academy in Albany and two years later at the age of 15, he started work in a bank where his uncle was the president.
This job did not last long though and Herman went on to work for his mother and older brother in a store.
This was another job that Herman didn't enjoy much and it wasn't long before he got itchy feet and moved again. At the age of 18, Herman signed up as an ordinary seaman on board the freighter the Highlander which was bound for the English port of Liverpool.
When the ship returned to New York, Herman jumped ship and found employment as a school teacher. During this time he tried his hand at writing, but with no success.
Itchy feet again – Herman was not the ideal employer to have – he went back to the sea, but this time joining a ship hunting for whales in the South Pacific.
He was now 22 years old and after deserting another ship was arrested and imprisoned. Herman escaped, joined the US Navy and eventually returned home to the States. It was then that he embarked don his writing career and the novel Moby Dick was born. The tale of a monstrous white whale, hunted by the crazy Captain Ahab was a huge success and Herman went on to write several other novels in his lifetime. Herman died on September 27th 1891.
Herman went on to attend an academy in Albany and two years later at the age of 15, he started work in a bank where his uncle was the president.
This job did not last long though and Herman went on to work for his mother and older brother in a store.
This was another job that Herman didn't enjoy much and it wasn't long before he got itchy feet and moved again. At the age of 18, Herman signed up as an ordinary seaman on board the freighter the Highlander which was bound for the English port of Liverpool.
When the ship returned to New York, Herman jumped ship and found employment as a school teacher. During this time he tried his hand at writing, but with no success.
Itchy feet again – Herman was not the ideal employer to have – he went back to the sea, but this time joining a ship hunting for whales in the South Pacific.
He was now 22 years old and after deserting another ship was arrested and imprisoned. Herman escaped, joined the US Navy and eventually returned home to the States. It was then that he embarked don his writing career and the novel Moby Dick was born. The tale of a monstrous white whale, hunted by the crazy Captain Ahab was a huge success and Herman went on to write several other novels in his lifetime. Herman died on September 27th 1891.
