This Top Five Classics illustrated edition of Herman Melville’ s Moby-Dick includes:

More than 270 black-and-white illustrations by Rockwell Kent from his 1930 Lakeside Press editionThe complete, unabridged text of Melville’ s classic from his definitive 1851 American editionA helpful glossary of termsDetailed biographies of both Herman Melville and Rockwell Kent

Moby-Dick, mostly ignored upon its publication in 1851 and during the author’ s lifetime, underwent a dramatic reappraisal during the early 20th century, when it came to epitomize the Great American Novel— in no small part due to the 1930 Lakeside Press edition that featured Rockwell Kent’ s starkly beautiful pen-and-ink illustrations that would help define the novel for a new generation of readers. An enigmatic tale of the sea, whaling, and obsession, Melville drew on themes from the Bible and Shakespeare to craft a uniquely American story that continues to fascinate and enthrall today.

Rockwell Kent, born in 1882 in Tarrytown, New York, was an artist and author who first came to prominence in the early twentieth century as a painter. Drawing inspiration from the austere power and beauty found in nature, Kent once wrote, “ I don’ t want petty self-expression. I want the elemental, infinite thing; I want to paint the rhythm of eternity.” Kent's stark black-and-white illustrations for the 1930 Lakeside Press edition of Moby-Dick became his most famous work, reigniting an interest in the novel. Kent died of a heart attack in 1971. Herman Melville was born in 1819 in New York City, the grandson of two Revolutionary War heroes. He began his career as an author in 1845 with the publication of the novel Typee, which recounted and fictionalized some of his adventures over three and a half years at sea on whaling and naval ships in the South Pacific. The book's success enabled Melville to write four more novels, including Omoo (1847) before publishing his magnum opus, Moby-Dick, in 1851. Met with an indifferent response, the book and author fell into obscurity until decades after the author passed away in 1891. Rockwell Kent, born in 1882 in Tarrytown, New York, was an artist and author who first came to prominence in the early twentieth century as a painter. Drawing inspiration from the austere power and beauty found in nature, Kent once wrote, “ I don’ t want petty self-expression. I want the elemental, infinite thing; I want to paint the rhythm of eternity.” Kent's stark black-and-white illustrations for the 1930 Lakeside Press edition of Moby-Dick became his most famous work, reigniting an interest in the novel. Kent died of a heart attack in 1971. Herman Melville was born in 1819 in New York City, the grandson of two Revolutionary War heroes. He began his career as an author in 1845 with the publication of the novel Typee, which recounted and fictionalized some of his adventures over three and a half years at sea on whaling and naval ships in the South Pacific. The book's success enabled Melville to write four more novels, including Omoo (1847) before publishing his magnum opus, Moby-Dick, in 1851. Met with an indifferent response, the book and author fell into obscurity until decades after the author passed away in 1891.

Etymology Extracts (Supplied by a Sub-Sub-Librarian) I. Loomings II. The Carpet Bag III. The Spouter-Inn IV. The Counterpane V. Breakfast VI. The Street VII. The Chapel VIII. The Pulpit IX. The Sermon X. A Bosom Friend XI. Nightgown XII. Biographical XIII. Wheelbarrow XIV. Nantucket XV. Chowder XVI. The Ship XVII. The Ramadan XVIII. His Mark XIX. The Prophet XX. All Astir XXI. Going Aboard XXII. Merry Christmas XXIII. The Lee Shore XXIV. The Advocate XXV. Postscript XXVI. Knights and Squires XXVII. Knights and Squires XXVIII. Ahab XXIX. Enter Ahab; to Him, Stubb XXX. The Pipe XXXI. Queen Mab XXXII. Cetology XXXIII. The Specksynder XXXIV. The Cabin Table XXXV. The Mast-Head XXXVI. The Quarter-Deck. Ahab and All XXXVII. Sunset XXXVIII. Dusk XXXIX. First Night-Watch XL. Forecastle— Midnight XLI. Moby Dick XLII. The Whiteness of the Whale XLIII. Hark! XLIV. The Chart XLV. The Affidavit XLVI. Surmises XLVII. The Mat-Maker XLVIII. The First Lowering XLIX. The Hyena L. Ahab’ s Boat and Crew— Fedallah LI. The Spirit-Spout LII. The Pequod Meets the Albatross LIII. The Gam LIV. The Town Ho’ s Story LV. Monstrous Pictures of Whales LVI. Less Erroneous Pictures of Whales LVII. Of Whales in Paint, in Teeth, &c LVIII. Brit LIX. Squid LX. The Line LXI. Stubb Kills a Whale LXII. The Dart LXIII. The Crotch LXIV. Stubb’ s Supper LXV. The Whale as a Dish LXVI. The Shark Massacre LXVII. Cutting In LXVIII. The Blanket LXIX. The Funeral LXX. The Sphynx LXXI. The Pequod Meets the Jeroboam. Her Story LXXII. The Monkey-Rope LXXIII. Stubb and Flask Kill a Right Whale LXXIV. The Sperm Whale’ s Head LXXV. The Right Whale’ s Head LXXVI. The Battering Ram LXXVII. The Great Heidelburgh Tun LXXVIII. Cistern and Buckets LXXIX. The Prairie LXXX. The Nut LXXXI. The Pequod Meets the Virgin LXXXII. The Honor and Glory of Whaling LXXXIII. Jonah Historically Regarded LXXXIV. Pitchpoling LXXXV. The Fountain LXXXVI. The Tail LXXXVII. The Grand Armada LXXXVIII. Schools and Schoolmasters LXXXIX. Fast Fish and Loose Fish XC. Heads or Tails XCI. The Pequod Meets the Rose Bud XCII. Ambergris XCIII. The Castaway XCIV. A Squeeze of the Hand XCV. The Cassock XCVI. The Try-Works XCVII. The Lamp XCVIII. Stowing Down and Clearing Up XCIX. The Doubloon C. The Pequod Meets the Samuel Enderby of London CI. The Decanter CII. A Bower in the Arsacides CIII. Measurement of the Whale’ s Skeleton CIV. The Fossil Whale CV. Does the Whale Diminish? CVI. Ahab’ s Leg CVII. The Carpenter CVIII. The Deck. Ahab and the Carpenter CIX. The Cabin. Ahab and Starbuck CX. Quee­ queg in His Coffin CXI. The Pacific CXII. The Blacksmith CXIII. The Forge CXIV. The Gilder CXV. The Pequod Meets the Bachelor CXVI. The Dying Whale CXVII. The Whale-Watch CXVIII. The Quadrant CXIX. The Candles CXX. The Deck CXXI. Midnight, on the Forecastle CXXII. Midnight, Aloft CXXIII. The Musket CXXIV. The Needle CXXV. The Log and Line CXXVI. The Life-Buoy CXXVII. The Deck. Ahab and the Carpenter CXXVIII. The Pequod Meets the Rachel CXXIX. The Cabin. Ahab and Pip CXXX. The Hat CXXXI. The Pequod Meets the Delight CXXXII. The Symphony CXXXIII. The Chase. First Day CXXXIV. The Chase. Second Day CXXXV. The Chase. Third Day Epilogue. Glossary About the Author About the Illustrator