The middle decades of the 19th century were the Golden Age of Whaling in which Martha’s Vineyard played an important role, supplying the men who commanded and crewed the ships that hunted the whales.  Paul Magid’s work records the adventurous life, from deck hand to captain, of one the most renowned of these men, Benjamin Clough. Clough achieved fame and earned his own command when, as third mate on the Whaler, Sharon, he single-handedly rescuing the ship from mutineers who had killed the captain and seized the vessel.  His heroic deed and ensuing career provide a windows through which to witness the dangers and hardships endured by those who pursued the leviathan.   Since, after retiring from the sea, Clough became an important member of the Vineyard community, it also gives readers a chance to learn about life on this small island before it became the summer resort.

Paul Magid retired after a thirty-year career in International Development in 1999. After writing three well-received works on the Western Frontier, he chose a subject closer to home. He had a lifelong association with Martha’s Vineyard that dates back to the 1950s and has lived on the island with his wife and son since 2006.