IRB Media Summary of Joan Druett's In the Wake of Madness

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 The path to disaster was laid on October 15, 1842, when the Sharon arrived at Ascension Island in the tropical northwest Pacific. Twelve men escaped while the ship was anchored in the lagoon, an almost unprecedented number. Norris had no choice but to steer for the Bay of Islands to try to recruit more men.#2 The story of the recapture of the Sharon is often told only half of the story. The public imagination became so focused on Clough's remarkable feat that crucial questions were left unanswered.#3 The events that took place on the Sharon were reported in the newspapers, and Melville heard about them when he was in the Pacific. However, the dark tale was lost to history because of a pact of silence.#4 Howes Norris was a whaling captain who died in 1841. He had only seventeen months left to live. He had chosen whaling as his career because it was the source of his support.