Thomas Philbrick is professor emeritus of English at the University of Pittsburgh.
Nathaniel Philbrick is a leading authority on the history of Nantucket Island. His
In the Heart of the Sea won the National Book Award. His latest book is
Sea of Glory, about the epic U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842. His other books include
Away off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890 (which
Russell Baker called "indispensable") and
Abram's Eyes: The Native American Legend of Nantucket Island ("a classic of historical truthtelling," according to
Stuart Frank, director of the Kendall Whaling Museum). He has written an introduction to a new edition of
Joseph Hart's
Miriam Coffin, or The Whale Fisherman, a Nantucket novel (first published in 1834) that
Melville relied upon for information about the island when writing
Moby Dick.
Philbrick, a champion sailboat racer, has also written extensively about sailing, including The Passionate Sailor (1987) and the forthcoming Second Wind: A Sunfish Sailor's Odyssey. He was editor in chief of the classic Yaahting: A Parody (1984).
In his role as director of the Egan Institute of Maritime Studies, Philbrick, who is also a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association, gives frequent talks about Nantucket and sailing. He has appeared on "NBC Today Weekend", A&E's "Biography" series, and National Public Radio and has served as a consultant for the movie "Moby Dick", shown on the USA Network. He received a bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Arts in American Literature from Duke. He lives on Natucket with his wife and two children.
