Up from the Depths: Herman Melville, Lewis Mumford, and Rediscovery in Dark Times

A double portrait of Herman Melville and Lewis Mumford reveals their surprising connections and relevance to our age of crisis. This book intertwines their lives and work, showing how they resonated during their troubled times. Melville, largely forgotten after his death, was revived by Mumford after World War I. As Mumford wrote about the machine age and environmental degradation, he found clarity in Melville’s confrontations with industrialization, slavery, and the Civil War. Mumford remained obsessed with Melville, helping to canonize him as America’s greatest tragedian. Notably, he recognized Melville’s balance between darkness and determination.

In today’s era of global warming, racism, technology, and pandemics, Melville and Mumford remind us of the long struggle for hope.

(This book may contain a sharpie mark on the top or bottom edge and may show mild signs of shelfwear.)