Peter the Whaler
About this audiobook
Peter the Whaler by W.H.G. Kingston, published in 1851, with introduction on the whaling industry in the mid-19th century by Steven Ritz-Barr (who also narrates). Whale oil was a premiere source of energy at this time and hunting was a right of passage for many young men.Peter LeFroy is fifteen years old, but the tales are anything but adolescent tales. They are hardened sailor tales complete with life and death at every turn. On his adventure, Peter becomes a Pirate—against his will; lives with some Eskimos—who save his life; lives through on-board fires, iceberg disasters, brutal whale hunting, and falls in love with a young girl named Mary. This book is about courage and perseverance. It was one of the first in the YA genre from England and was published the same year as Melville’s Moby Dick.
About the author
William Henry Giles Kingston (1814–1880), often credited as W. H. G. Kingston, was an English writer of boys’ adventure novels.
Steven Ritz-Barr began narrating audiobooks full time in 2018, after four decades as a professional puppeteer in the film, television, and theater worlds in Paris and Los Angeles. His narrations include Young Crusaders andTo Embody the Marvelous.
