Nathaniel Philbrick Bringing His Latest Historical Epic to New Bedford

Author Nathaniel Philbrick may live on Nantucket, but he feels a close connection to New Bedford that goes beyond just the fact that they’re two former whaling ports. He knows the rich history of the Whaling City is still alive all around us.

That’s one of the reasons he’s excited to come here on Wednesday, November 18 as part of Spinner Publications’ Author Talk Events, celebrating the publisher’s 45th anniversary.

Philbrick will appear at the Steeple Playhouse on William Street that evening from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for a talk on his latest book, a question-and-answer session, and a book signing.

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Philbrick is the author of popular titles such as In the Heart of the Sea: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, The Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World, numerous books about the American Revolution, and more. In an interview with WBSM, Philbrick said that what he writes is “narrative history,” focusing first on the story and bringing in the facts as part of it.

“For me, it is the story that is the best delivery system there is to tell about what happened in the past,” he said. “You know, I grew up with movies, and so it’s a cinematic kind of effect I’m trying to go for.”

Crafting 'Narrative History': How Research Drives the Story

However, Philbrick said he only uses the facts and figures that come directly from the archives and the journals of the past. He said when it comes to the time spent working on a book, about 75 percent of it is research and 25 percent is the actual writing. He said he won’t invent scenarios or create dialogue, but the magic moment is when all that true history can weave itself into a compelling narrative.

“For me, that’s what it’s about,” he said. “Because when I’m researching something, when I’m diving in from all different directions to try to figure out what happened, when I’m in that moment writing about it, it feels like I’m experiencing it as it is.”

“So when I'm writing my books, I'm trying to convey a sense of life as lived and some of the excitement and just pure fascination of the strangeness of the past that I've experienced in researching the topic,” Philbrick said. “So hopefully, I convey that in the narratives and make it a really immersive experience.”

Reexamining 'The Rush' and its Direct Link to the Civil War

Philbrick said he spent about five years working on his 13th and latest book, The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World.

“I think we all have sort of a stock response to the California Gold Rush. We think of it as a western phenomenon where people went out west with their picks and pans and discovered gold,” he said. “What I began to realize is that the gold aspect of it is fascinating, but it’s only a part of the story.”

Philbrick said the discovery of gold came at a time when new technologies such as the telegraph, trains, and steamships were “transforming the world and increasing the pace of life.”

He said that when gold was discovered, the country had just basically doubled in size following the Mexican-American War, and that California wanting to come in as a Free State threatened to throw off the balance of where slavery was legal in the United States.

“The South demanded all sorts of concessions, including the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and that lit the long fuse to the Civil War,” he said. “So the discovery of gold in California wasn’t, you know, a kind of historical cul-de-sac. It was the beginning of a phenomenon that would launch the country towards the Civil War and result in a change in how we view our society.”

When Philbrick comes to New Bedford on November 18, he will discuss The Rush and the research that went into it.

“I have to say, The Rush was, in many ways, the most challenging book I’ve ever researched and wrote, just because my understanding of the event evolved so much from what I thought I was getting into,” he said, before also calling it “one of the most rewarding” books he’s written.

Event Details, Tickets, and Cocktail Reception at Steeple Playhouse

The event at the Steeple Playhouse will also feature beverages and hors d’oeuvres “in a relaxed cocktail-party ambiance,” according to Spinner, and copies of The Rush will be available for purchase and signing.

Tickets are $40 and available on the Spinner Publications website.