The Mystic Seaport book The Charles W. Morgan: A Picture History of an American Icon was recently honored with two awards: the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Best Legacy Non-Fiction and the da Vinci Eye Award for outstanding cover art.
The Eric Hoffer Award was founded at the start of the 21st century to honor freethinking writers and independent books of exceptional merit. Hoffer-honored books are from small, academic, and micro presses, including self-published offerings. Nominated books are judged by independent panels within eighteen categories. The Eric Hoffer Book Award has become one of the top literary awards for independent books, involving more than 1,300 books and 100 judges.
The Award honors the memory of the American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers. Hoffer was the author of The True Believer and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1983.
The book chronicles the history of American whaling, the Morgan‘s 80-year career in the whale fishery, the ship’s time as an exhibit at Mystic Seaport, and the ship’s 38th Voyage in 2014. The book was written by Andrew W. German and Daniel V. McFadden.
The da Vinci Eye Award cover features a photograph of a whale fluking its tail with the Morgan in the background during a sail in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary during the 38th Voyage. The photo was taken by Museum staff photographer Andy Price.
The Museum’s book L. Frances Herreshoff Yacht Designer, by Roger C. Taylor, was a finalist in the Memoir category.
Both books are available for purchase in the Maritime Bookstore on the Museum grounds or online.
