Moby Dick is a novel written by Herman Melville based on his sailing experiences. It tells the story of Captain Ahab's obsession with hunting down the giant white whale, Moby Dick, to avenge the whale biting off his leg. The novel explores themes of revenge and survival as Captain Ahab manipulates his crew aboard the Pequod to help him kill Moby Dick, despite warnings from others like Starbuck about the dangers of his obsession. The novel was influenced by Melville's knowledge of actual whaling disasters and famous whales from his time at sea as a young man.