Herman Melville was the celebrated author of several big 19th-century novels about the sea. Moby-Dick (1851), the story of the fanatical Captain Ahab and his hunt for the great white whale of the title, is now considered one of the classics of American literature. Melville's other novels include Typee (1846), Omoo (1847), and Billy Budd (published posthumously in 1924). Melville published little after 1860 and it wasn't until the 1900s that he gained his reputation as one of early America's great authors.
Captain Ahab hates Moby Dick--“the white devil”--because he lost a leg to the white whale in a fight. Now Ahab, the captain of a whaling ship,can only think of one thing.He has to find Moby Dick and kill him.
Many of the other sailors on the ship don't know about their captain's plan.Ishmael is a young sailor and this is his first whaling job. He and his new friend,Queequeg,sail with Captain Ahab on this exciting-and dagerous--trip.Also on the ship are Starbuck,Srubb,and other whalers from different countries.He is prepared to sacrifice everything, including his life, the lives of his crew members, and even his ship to find and destroy his nemesis