Moby-Dick: Illustrated by Rockwell Kent

by Herman Melville, Rockwell Kent (Illustrator)

Overview

“ One of the strangest and most wonderful books in the world.” — D.H. Lawrence

Spurned by readers and critics after its publication in 1851 and for the rest of Herman Melville’s life, Moby-Dick underwent a dramatic reappraisal after his death. During the early years of the 20th century, it came to define the Great American Novel. This spurred and was, in turn, boosted by the 1930 Lakeside Press edition featuring Rockwell Kent’s stark pen-and-ink illustrations that captured the drama, beauty, and violence of Melville’s masterpiece.

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

All of Rockwell Kent’s 270-plus black-and-white illustrations The complete, unabridged text of Melville’s classic from his definitive 1851 American edition A glossary of terms A map of the Voyage of the Pequod Detailed biographies of both Melville and Kent

An enigmatic tale of the sea, whaling, and obsession, Melville’s epic Moby-Dick echoes themes from the Bible and the works of Shakespeare to craft a uniquely American story that continues to fascinate and enthrall today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938938269
Publisher:	Top Five Books
Publication date:	01/01/2026
Series:	Top Five Classics
Pages:	656
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

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 masterpiece, Moby-Dick, in 1851. Met with an indifferent response when it was published, the book and author fell into obscurity until decades after the author passed away in 1891. In the early part of the twentieth century, the author and his work would undergo a radical reappraisal, and Moby-Dick would be recognized as one of the truly Great American Novels ever written.

Date of Birth:

August 1, 1819

Date of Death:

September 28, 1891

Place of Birth:

New York, New York

Place of Death:

New York, New York

Education:

Attended the Albany Academy in Albany, New York, until age 15

Table of Contents

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