Originally published as an award-winning article in the North Carolina Historical Review, this fascinating study traces the history of whaling in the state from the seventeenth century until World War I. Includes a number of colorful accounts of local whaling around Shackleford Banks in the latter half of the nineteenth century and a vivid description of the catch of the “Mayflower,” North Carolina’s best-known whale. Marcus Simpson earned a B.S. degree from Davidson College and an M.D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sallie Simpson holds a B.A. degree from George Washington University and a B.S. degree from the University of Maryland.