It's hard to go wrong with a seafaring tale of mythical beasts, cannibalism and sturdy 19th-century New Englanders. Phibrick, an amateur historian, does himself proud in this enthralling tale, recounting the true-life event that inspired Melville's "Moby Dick." He focuses on the aftermath and the history of Nantucket as much as the mighty whale in this history.  (OCE47, $15.00)