Ebook: A savage history: the story of whaling in the Pacific and Southern Oceans

The slaughter of the leviathan -- Whaling in ancient times -- New South whales -- Whaling among the Maori and missionaries -- The business of whaling -- The Pacific capital of whaling -- The floating abattoir -- Exploration and the whaling boom -- The stockbroker and the artist -- Whaling craft -- Life, food, booze and sex -- Women go whaling -- Mechanised slaughter -- The Norwegians in Western Australia -- Ten thousand years of eating whale -- Japan against the world -- End game -- What now for whales? -- Whaleography.;Celebrated, revered, and studied, whales hold particular allure, but for much of history they have been relentlessly hunted throughout the oceans. A Savage History is a powerful account of a complex and bloody relationship that tells the rich history of whales and whaling, following the stories of whalers from the 18th century to the present day. It explores not only the drama and danger of whaling but the ways in which whales have infused human imagination throughout history. The book also covers the end of industrial whaling and the work still to do to protect these magnificent and intelligent creatures.