In the Heart of the Sea book. A recounting of a New England whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the whaler Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. With Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw. Read 5,546 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Directed by Ron Howard. In the winter of 1820, the New England whaling ship Essex was assaulted by something no one could believe: a whale of mammoth size and will, and an almost human sense of vengeance. The book was published by Viking Press on May 8, 2000, and won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction.