A Whaler at Twilight

At the heart of A Whaler at Twilight is the long-lost true story of an American whaler who embarked on a harrowing adventure in the South Pacific in the mid-nineteenth century in search of absolution and redemption. After the death of his parents, young Robert Armstrong lived with a successful uncle—a well-respected Methodist shopkeeper in bustling 1840s Baltimore—and had the opportunity to attend the nation’s first dental school. But Armstrong threw his future away, drinking himself into oblivion. Devoured by guilt and shame, in December 1849 he sold his dental instruments, his watch, and everything he possessed, and signed on for a whaling voyage leaving New Bedford for the South Pacific.

Decades later, Armstrong wrote an autobiographical account based on his travel logs, chronicling his thrilling, gritty experiences during ten years away. His memoirs describe his encounters with other whalers, beachcombers, Peruvian villagers, Pacific islanders, Maori warriors in New Zealand, cannibals on Fiji, and the impacts of American Expansionism. He also recounted his struggles with drink, his quest for God, and his own redemption.

Armstrong’s gripping personal account is bookended by thoroughly researched contextual background compiled by his great-great-grandson, Alexander Brash, who discovered his ancestor’s manuscript among a collection of family mementos. A noted professional conservationist, Brash fills out Armstrong’s intimate and timeless tale by shedding further light on a turbulent historical period, whaling and its impacts, his ancestor’s religious milieu, and the importance of marine conservation today. A Whaler at Twilight is a fascinating dive into both human morality and American history.