Herman Melville

Born in New York City on August 1, 1819, Herman Melville worked a string of jobs before going to sea as a young man. Those voyages, including time on a whaling ship in the South Pacific, gave him the firsthand experience that shaped his earliest books and much of his imagination.

His first novels, Typee and Omoo, brought him quick attention, and in 1851 he published Moby-Dick, now widely seen as his masterpiece. He also wrote Bartleby, the Scrivener, Benito Cereno, and later Billy Budd, Sailor, which was published after his death.

Melville died in New York City on September 28, 1891. His reputation faded for a time, but the 20th century brought a major revival of interest in his writing, and he is now remembered as one of the most important American authors of the 19th century.