SKU: 54527812531

BEALE, Thomas. The Natural History of the Sperm Whale ... To Which is Added, A Sketch of a South-Sea Whaling Voyage.

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BEALE, Thomas. The Natural History of the Sperm Whale ... To Which is Added, A Sketch of a South-Sea Whaling Voyage.Melvilles Primary Reference for Moby Dick BEALE, Thomas. The Natural History of the Sperm Whale To Which is Added, A Sketch of a South Sea Whaling Voyage. London: John van Voorst. 1839. 8vo. Contemporary half calf with marbled sides, rebacked, gilt morocco lettering piece relaid to spine; pp. [iii]vi, [7]12, 393, bound without half title; wood engraved frontispiece and 2 wood engraved plates, wood engraved illustrations in the text; a few minor

Melville’s Primary Reference for Moby Dick

BEALE, Thomas. The Natural History of the Sperm Whale ... To Which is Added, A Sketch of a South-Sea Whaling Voyage. London: John van Voorst. 1839.

8vo. Contemporary half calf with marbled sides, rebacked, gilt morocco lettering-piece relaid to spine; pp. [iii]–vi, [7]–12, 393, bound without half-title; wood-engraved frontispiece and 2 wood-engraved plates, wood-engraved illustrations in the text; a few minor abrasions to corners; internally remarkably clean and fresh; ownership inscription of Brian Birley Roberts to front free endpaper and his posthumous bookplate to front pastedown (see below).

Second edition, considerably revised and expanded, of this monumental early work on sperm whales by ship’s surgeon Thomas Beale, the edition owned by Herman Melville and his ‘primary source book … in composing the cetological section of Moby Dick (Vincent, p. 128).

Melville acquired a copy of Beale’s Natural History of the Sperm Whale – procuring it from London through Putnam’s in New York – on 10 July 1850, annotating it throughout and adding checkmarks in the margins to note his progress. Indeed, Beale’s work receives explicit mention in Moby Dick, in which it is praised as one of ‘only two books in being which at all pretend to put the living sperm whale before you, and at the same time, in the remotest degree succeed in their attempt’, and Beale’s drawings of the sperm whale are characterised ‘by great odds’ as ‘the best’. The first edition had been published in 1835 in an edition of only 133 copies.

‘From its first appearance Beale’s book has been recognized as an essential reference for studies of whales and whaling. It provides for the sperm whale and the British Southern whale fishery, a handbook similar to that supplied for the Greenland Right whale and the Northern whale fishery by William Scoresby junr in his An Account of the Arctic Regions […] Beale was one of the first observers, if not the first, to provide an accurate description of the sperm whale’s appearance, habits, and general biology’ (1973 reprint, p. v).

Provenance: Polar ornithologist and researcher Brian Birley Roberts (1912–1978) organised and led the Cambridge University Expedition to Vatnajökull in Iceland in 1932 whilst an undergraduate at Emmanuel College, as well as the Cambridge University Expedition to the Scoresby Sund in East Greenland in 1933. In 1946 he joined Cambridge’s Scott Polar Research Institute as a part-time research fellow, and was ‘often thought to be the éminence grise of the UK’s Antarctic policy and also of the founding of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty’ (Polar Record 52.6 (2016)).

Chavanne 1006; Denucé 1254; Sabin 4108; Spence 105. See Vincent, The Trying-Out of Moby Dick (1949).

SKU: 2118252

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SKU: 54527812531

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Amazon Customer
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Summer wedding kids suit
Color: Navy, Size: 10 Years, Color: Navy, Size: 10 Years
Bought this suit for my son in the 10 youth size and honestly was pleasantly surprised by the quality for the price. The navy color looks sharp and dressy without being too stiff or uncomfortable. The material has a little stretch, which helped it fit nicely and made it comfortable for him to move around in. The adjustable waist was a huge plus, especially for growing kids. It fit true to size overall, though the blazer sleeves were slightly long on my son. The pants had a nice slim look without being too tight. We paired it with white sneakers for a more modern look and it came out adorable. This would be perfect for weddings, graduations, concerts, communion, school events, or family photos. Overall, very happy with the purchase and would definitely buy again.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026
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Kindle Customer
Louisville, US
★★★★★ 5
Very Modern Handsome Suit
Color: Grey, Size: 7 Years, Color: Grey, Size: 7 Years
This is an incredibly sharp looking suit for the little guy. Great price and features, too. I made a mistake in sizing up instead of down and first one was too sloppy on him and would need alterations. He is thin and very thin in the waist. There is a lot of adjustment with buttons in waistband and coat hides the bunching. This shirt and coat will easily take a fuller body than slim I believe. He loves posing in it and feels very classy. Best purchase for a formal suit that will last longer than most kids clothes size wise. Felt bad about returning but careful folding and packing got it good as new.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2026
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Berthav
Birmingham, US
★★★★★ 5
Quality
Color: Black, Size: 7 Years, Color: Black, Size: 7 Years
Excellent quality, My son looks incredible
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2026
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Lady Wescott
Fort Morgan, US
★★★★★ 4
Sharp Looking Kids Suit With One Missing Piece
Color: Navy, Size: 7 Years, Color: Navy, Size: 7 Years
I ordered this suit for my 6yo son in a size 7 so he would have a little room to grow and get more wear out of it, and sizing is perfect. He did not need it for any specific occasion, he just wanted a suit because apparently kindergarteners sometimes wake up and decide they are businessmen now. Let me start with the positives because there are a lot of them. This is a very well made suit. The jacket, pants, and dress shirt are all surprisingly nice quality. The fabric does not feel cheap or flimsy at all. The jacket has good structure, the buttons are well attached, the seams are clean, and all the little details like the collar and pockets look great. It honestly looks like a proper little formal suit. The pants are nicely made as well and pair perfectly with the jacket. The white dress shirt underneath is also good quality and completes the whole look. Overall, it is a really sharp outfit and would absolutely work for special occasions like weddings, recitals, formal events, church, or family photos. Now for the reason I am deducting one star. The listing specifically shows and mentions that this set includes a bow tie. That was actually the main reason I chose this particular suit over others. Some options only had a standard tie or no tie at all, but my son specifically wanted a bow tie. Unfortunately, the bow tie was not included with mine. That was definitely disappointing because it was one of the main selling points for me when choosing this set. Now I have to go find a separate bow tie that matches, which I was hoping to avoid. That said, I do want to be clear that this issue does not take away from the actual quality of the suit itself. The suit is genuinely very well made and looks fantastic on him. If your child needs a suit for a wedding, formal event, recital, or something similar, this would absolutely work. My son mostly just wanted a suit because he thinks it is cool, so now he has one and can show up to school looking like the smallest CEO in kindergarten. Overall, this is a very nice quality suit set. I just wish the bow tie that was advertised had actually been included.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026
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Liz
Lexington, US
★★★★★ 5
Good for the price
Color: Black, Size: 10 Years
Great suit for the price and it includes the shirt which It was a great surprise
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Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2026

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