May 17 | 7pm | Wavertree | Free
Step into a gripping narrative of maritime history with the Seaport Museum and best-selling author Eric Jay Dolin as he unveils a true story of resilience, treachery, and survival at the edge of the world. While sharing his latest book with us, Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World, Dolin will immerse us in a wild and fateful encounter that unfolds amidst the tumult of the American War of 1812.
Together we will learn how, fraught with misunderstandings and mistrust, the incident left three British sailors and two Americans, including the captain of the American sealing vessel, Charles H. Barnard, abandoned in the barren, windswept, and inhospitable Falklands for a year and a half. With deft narrative skill and vast knowledge of seafaring life, Dolin will describe in vivid and harrowing detail the increasingly desperate existence of the castaways during their 18-month ordeal—an all-too-common fate in the Great Age of Sail.
Sign up today to enjoy this tale of intriguing complexity, with surprising twists and turns throughout, that offers a unique perspective on a pivotal era in American maritime history.
Advanced registration is suggested for this free event but walkups will be accommodated as possible. A Q&A and reception with complimentary beverages will follow. Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World, will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
Please Note This is a Past Program, Event, or Activity
You are viewing an archived page for a program, event, or activity that has already taken place. In most cases these pages are no longer actively maintained and because of that may contain inaccurate or out-of-date information. These pages are left publicly viewable to preserve institutional memory and to allow the public to learn more about the types of programs, activities, and content created and made available by the South Street Seaport Museum throughout its history.
About the Author
Eric Jay Dolin is the author of sixteen books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which was chosen as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe, and also won the 2007 John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History, His most recent book before Left for Dead is Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution, which was awarded the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award and the Samuel Eliot Morison Book Award for Naval Literature. Before Rebels came A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes, which was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was chosen as one of the 50 notable books of non-fiction of the year by The Washington Post, and as one of the Best Science & Technology Books of 2020 by the Library Journal and Booklist. Dolin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.