Eric Jay Dolin

A great review of The Wreck of the Mentor by BOOKLIST: "Using an impressive array of sources, he builds a gripping narrative about the castaways, their initial encounters with the Native peoples of the islands, and their experiences living among them. . . . Dolin weaves it all into a dark adventure that must be read to be believed, along within the larger story of the history of whaling, exploration, and sailing. The lavish illustrations add depth to the engaging prose. Reaching far beyond a simple shipwreck chronicle, Dolin's latest dramatic account is a compelling addition to maritime history collections." James Pekoll The book publishes June 2 -- you can pre-order now. For more on the book and to read the introduction, please visit Thanks for reading! #history, #maritime, #booksellers, #newbooks, #nonfiction, #bookclubs, #booklist

Check out our upcoming author events and don’t forget to RSVP to the Thursday Murder Book Club and Mahjong Club! 📗🌳 #indiebookshop #southendboston #southend #bookshop #authortalks

TUNE IN MONDAY to the Morning Show 8-10am PT on @ksvy_svtv Sonoma when my guests include: @ericjayd (8:20 am), the award-winning author of The Wreck of the Mentor (already named by the New York Times as a major nonfiction release for 2026). @ericmarshall17 (9 am) is known as the @closettraininginstitute Guru, but he's also a certified Master Storage Designer. Jennifer Singer is the founder of Clarity in Your Pocket and Thrive Coach in Your Pocket. And we wind up with @moretbrealynn enrichment director from @winewomenorg a nonprofit trade organization supporting & championing women in the wine industry. Tune in to 91.3 fm locally or ksvy.org.

THE BIG REVEAL! Me opening a box of my forthcoming book -- The Wreck of the Mentor: Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail, publishing on June 2. I greatly enjoyed writing the book, and I hope you enjoy reading it. It is available now for pre-order. Thanks to the hundreds of people who have already pre-ordered it, and if you think you might want to get a copy, please consider pre-ordering since it really helps the book succeed, and that success will enable me to continue writing more books. It makes a great MOTHER'S or FATHER'S DAY gift. Thank you for watching and reading! #nonfiction, #booksellers, #history, #maritime

Liz introduced long-time friend of Whitelam Books, author Eric Jay Dolin, at the @neibabooks Spring Forum this week as he presented his upcoming book, The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail, coming on June 2.  Currently, Liz serves as President of the NEIBA board of directors; we'll share more of her adventures from spring forum in days to come! #NEIBA #whitelambooks

This is fun! I used IMovie to create this dramatic teaser for my forthcoming book, The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail. Turn the sound up and enjoy! If it tickles your fancy, consider pre-ordering a copy at any bookstore, physical or online.

A sneak peak of my forthcoming book, The Wreck of the Mentor. (pub. June 2). Three indies in and next to my hometown of Marblehead, MA, have been big supporters of my books, and any of then can take pre-orders, so give them a call. A big thank you to @wickedgoodbooks , in Salem, @copperdogbooks , in Beverly, and @saltwaterbookstore , in Marblehead. ---------- Very short EXCERPT! The whaleship Mentor and its crew of twenty-two were in trouble. On May 18, 1832, soon after passing to the north of Morotai Island, in between the western edge of New Guinea and the Philippines, the weather turned nasty. For three days, terrific south- southwesterly winds, torrential rains, and building seas buffeted the ship. Captain Edward C. Barnard ordered his men to take in all the sails except the foresail, the fore topmast staysail, and the close-reefed topsail, to keep the masts from snapping or the ship from capsizing. Unable to rely on celestial navigation due to thick cloud cover, Barnard did his best to steer as the Mentor sliced through mountainous waves that violently pitched the ship about. He remained cool and in control, however, for he thought the ship was in open water, and therefore in no immediate danger of crashing into land. As to where they were, his best guess, taking into account the wind direction, ship’s speed, compass readings, and the time and distance elapsed since leaving Morotai behind, was that the Mentor was about 150 miles northwest of Palau with plenty of sea room. But he was wrong. Just before midnight on May 21, at the turning of the watch, the Mentor struck a reef with savage force, lurching three times and unhanging its rudder. ------ @liverightbooks #bookstore, #nonfiction #history #maritime, #bookstagram, #whales

Book trailer for THE WRECK OF THE MENTOR, a New York Times selection as one of the most anticipated books of 2026. It publishes on June 2. If you have read any of my others books, or are just looking for a dramatic and fascinating maritime history, please consider pre-ordering the book wherever books are sold. It helps the book succeed, which helps me continue to write more books! See below for more on the book. --------- An astonishing true story―one of the most gripping maritime sagas of the nineteenth century―told by our era’s “expert literary steersman” (Washington Post). 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 eleven surviving crewmen face not only the miseries of shipwreck in unfamiliar territory but also the profound uncertainty of 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, tribal wars, and dashed hopes, award–winning historian Eric Jay Dolin vividly reconstructs the Mentor’s doomed voyage, the years of perilous captivity, and the delicate negotiations and fraught naval rescue mission 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. #nonfiction, #books, #pubday, #maritime

The advanced review copies of my new book have arrived! The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail will be published on June 2, and is available for pre-order right now, anywhere books are sold (and pre-orders really help the book succeed, so if you can pre-order, that would be great). Check out my video below for more information. #nonfictionbooks #nonfiction #pubday #maritime #whaling #booksellers

Well, that was fun! Getting ready for a few more inches tonight, here in Marblehead, MA.

One of seven or eight squirrels who appear to live on our property, as almost everyday I see all or most of them walking around the lawn and through the garden beds looking for food to survive winter. I really enjoy watching them, and hope that over time they get used to me coming in and out of the house, and don't scamper away at the mere sight of me. I know some people view them as basically rats with fluffy tails, but I find them fascinating, as long as they don't decide to gnaw through the eaves and take up residence in our attic!

The NEW YORK TIMES has selected THE WRECK OF THE MENTOR as one of the most anticipated nonfiction books of 2026! The title of the article is "The Nonfiction Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026." Click on the link below to read the article, and see all of the other great books that made the list. Please consider pre-ordering a copy (it does really help a book succeed). /2026/01/07/books/review/most-anticipated-nonfiction-books-2026.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ClA.YaQW.C1YkOetobAyz&smid=url-share