Described by D H Lawrence as "the greatest book of the sea ever written" and now heralded as a classic of American literature, ironically Moby Dick was not a financial success for Herman Melville. Moby Dick is told through the eyes of Ishmael, a sailor. The story recounts the voyage of the Pequod, a whaling ship captained by Ahab, who on a previous trip had lost a battle with a white whale, during which both his ship and the lower part of his leg were destroyed. Ishmael signs up for what he thinks will be a normal whaling trip, but as the voyage progresses, he realises that Captain Ahab is after one thing - revenge.