
The Wreck of the Mentor
A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail
Eric Jay Dolin(Author)
Liveright Publishing Corporation
Will be published approx. on 2. June 2026
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-324-09632-0 (ISBN)
Description
From the best-selling author of Black Flags, Blue Waters comes the story of the American whaleship Mentor, wrecked in 1832 on a remote reef in the western Pacific. With supplies dwindling, the twenty-two crewmen face not only the miseries of shipwreck in unfamiliar territory but also the profound uncertainty of first contact with the Indigenous people of the Micronesian archipelago of Palau, who within days approach the deserted men brandishing axes, clubs and spears. In this gripping saga of cultural collision, award-winning historian Eric Jay Dolin vividly reconstructs the Mentor's doomed voyage, the months of perilous captivity and the negotiations that followed. Illustrated by more than 100 images and maps, The Wreck of the Mentor is at once a powerful story of survival and a revealing window into the great Age of Sail-a time when maritime ambition collided with local sovereignty, and when the outcome of one voyage rippled across oceans and empires.
Eric Jay Dolin's Left For Dead was praised as:
"The author of several previous books on such maritime topics as piracy and whaling, Dolin is an expert literary steersman." -Dennis Drabelle, The Washington Post
"Dolin's firm grasp of the 19th-century maritime world is undeniable....This is a masterly account of a historical event." -Bill Heavey, The Wall Street Journal
Eric Jay Dolin's Left For Dead was praised as:
"The author of several previous books on such maritime topics as piracy and whaling, Dolin is an expert literary steersman." -Dennis Drabelle, The Washington Post
"Dolin's firm grasp of the 19th-century maritime world is undeniable....This is a masterly account of a historical event." -Bill Heavey, The Wall Street Journal
Reviews / Votes
"Mr. Dolin is an experienced hand at nautical adventure; this is his 17th book. In addition to recounting an exciting and at times almost unbelievably dramatic story, the author helps readers appreciate how Western visitors affected the delicate balance of power among indigenous cultures. The Wreck of the Mentor makes for less-guilty adventure reading, depicting a scenario where the odds were leveled by circumstance." -- Michael O'Donnell - The Wall Street JournalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United States
Publishing group
W W Norton & Co Ltd
Illustrations
108 illustrations; 8 pages of color; 1 map
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
552 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-324-09632-0 (9781324096320)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Eric Jay Dolin
The Wreck of the Mentor
A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail
E-Book
06/2026
Liveright
€25.99
Available for download
Person
Eric Jay Dolin is the best-selling author of numerous works in maritime history, including Left for Dead; Black Flags, Blue Waters; and Leviathan. His books have won many awards including the John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History; Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award; National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in American History Book Award; and the Samuel Eliot Morison Book Award for Naval Literature; and he was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. He now lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family.