Young Ishmael sets out on the whaling ship "Pequod" hoping to free himself from his earthly anger and sorrow. But the mad Captain Ahab, who hunts for the whale that tore off his leg, heads the great ship into dangerous waters. Will the "Pequod" return safely? Or will Ahab's obsession with his mortal enemy end in death? Herman Melvilles's fearsome adventure is the great American novel.