Author(s): Chris Pash

Issues/Current Affairs

Jean-Paul Fortom-Gouin, aka the Phantom, is a man on an anti-whaling mission who wangles his way on to the International Whaling Commission with a snappy suit and ticket from the Panamanian government. Ches Stubbs, skipper of the whaling ship Cheynes III, is known for his long-range skills with a harpoon. Just like Ahab, Ches loses a leg while whaling and, just like a pirate, sails with a pet cockatoo that happens to have a penchant for gnawing on naked toes. These are just two of the real-life characters captured with heart and humour by Chris Pash in his story about the end of whaling in Australia. The book shows a town reliant on whaling dollars pitted against a determined band of international protesters.