(Image Courtesy of the New Bedford Free Public Library)
Praise for Whaling Captains of color - America’s First Meritocracy
Much more than a prodigious work of scholarship, Whaling Captains of Color is also an entertaining read that puts the focus where it properly belongs: on the multicultural essence of a fishery that spanned the globe. Highly recommended.
Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
“In this engaging new volume, Skip Finley has written a comprehensive account of the over fifty sailors of color who rose to captain America’s great whaling ships. Meticulously researched, Whaling Captains of Color provides an overview of the 200 years of industrial whaling, a profession in which a relative meritocracy existed. In addition, Finley provides a critically important analysis of the social and legal conditions on land which encouraged so many people of color to brave the dangers of the sea.”
Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, Harvard University
Skip Finley provides a fascinating portrait of the turbulent and fraught world of the men of color who not only were whalemen, but also became leaders in one of America's most iconic industries. Whaling Captains of Color is a most welcome and long overdue addition to the literature, and one which will hopefully spur others to dig deeper into this important aspect of whaling history.
Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America
Whaling Captains of Color, by Skip Finley, brings to the fore a portion of American maritime history that few people have encountered. …Whaling Captains of Color is not just a collection of logbooks, photos, and graphics; it is stories of the men of color who rose to the pinnacle of their profession: Master of the Vessel. The author has painstakingly searched logs, articles, and firsthand accounts to bring to life the meritocracy of the sea. But this is not a glossy sea story. It is the down-and dirty of an industry that thrived from 1700 until the early 20th century, a chronicle of the individuals and families who gained a level of success unknown, anywhere else, in the lives of people of color in their time. The book is also an in-depth study of the whaling industry, race, maritime lore, family structure, religion, nepotism, genealogical integration, and education. It is an excellent primer of the whaling industry and a salute to the men of color who helped to sustain it for 150 years.
The story of people of colour in the whaling industry is a fascinating and hitherto unexplored subject enough; but Skip Finley’s brilliant survey of the black captains and crew of the New England whale fisheries takes it one step further. His swift and sure narrative is excitingly told, bringing a fresh and vibrant focus to a vital part of American, and indeed global, history
Philip Hoare, author of The Whale - In Search of the Giants of the Sea
Skip Finley thoughtfully honors and illustrates how the men of color in this book, shaped commercial whaling, one of America’s earliest global industries.
I highly recommend this book.
Alicia Carney, Nantucket Book Festival
In “Whaling Captains of Color: America’s First Meritocracy,” Island writer Skip Finley has produced an extraordinary work that will change your perspective on the highly romanticized whaling era in American history, and the role of people of color in a trade that brought whalers fortunes and death.
Jack Shae, Martha's Vineyard Times
This book is the result of extensive research into the whaling trade and the lives of some of its captains. In addition to the narrative, the author further shares twenty pages of endnotes, an eleven-page bibliography, and a fifteen-page index. Among the eleven appendices are a chronological list of captains, the number of whales each captain killed, the names of captains killed by whales and other supplemental information. Forty-three black-and-white pictures are scattered throughout the book, with many pictures of ships and captains."
Irwin Bryan, Pirates & Privateers, The History of Maritime Piracy
Whaling Captains of Color, Finley’s second book, works on two levels. Firstly, it serves scholars of whaling history and racial history in the United States. Finley is gracious to previous scholars and databases, open about his methods, and provides easy paths to researching all of these topics further. Finley is clear about the challenges of the very title of the book: how does one define a mariner of color, especially when the shifting social and legal constructs of race were often transcribed, recorded, and defined by a quick adjective written by a white hand on a crew list or a customs document?
“In his new book, Skip Finley examines the reality of black men who earned their place as equals in the brutal world of the American whaling industry. Whaling Captains of Color: America’s First Meritocracy is an examination of a fascinating quirk in America’s history of race relations."
Steve Donoghue, The Vineyard Gazette
Ordinarily, I’d wait for publication day to hail an important book, but, with the shipping delays we’re experiencing as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it seems like you should get on the pre-order bandwagon: Skip Finley’s “Whaling Captains of Color: America’s First Meritocracy” is out on June 15 from the Naval Institute Press."
Sam Sifton, Founding Editor, New York Times Cooking
Before going to Behind the Bookstore, stop by Edgartown books and grab a copy of local Skip Finley‘s newest book Whaling Captains of Color. It’s a great read that involves a collection of the best stories from the lives of over 50 Whaling Captains of Color to share the story of America’s First Meritocracy. It will give you perspective and some color to the history of Martha’s Vineyard during your visit on the island. Plus, it’s a great beach read.
READ FULL REVIEW: https://issuu.com/seahistory/docs/sh_173_winter-2020-21/54