On November 14, 1851, Moby-Dick was published. The book was the sixth novel by Herman Melville. The story concerned Captain Ahab aboard the whaling ship, Pequod. While the book is now considered a classic, it was a big flop at the time. Melville’s others had been adventure stories, while Moby-Dick was an epic tragedy. Melville continued to write, but he had to return to work as customs-agent in New York in order to support himself.
