King lays bare the background to Moby-Dick by moving through the voyage of the Pequod, exploring topics in marine biology, oceanography, and the science of navigation as Ishmael raises them in the novel.
To help readers better appreciate Art of War, Lynch provides an insightful introduction and a substantial interpretive essay discussing the military, political, and philosophical aspects of the work, in addition to maps, an index of names, and a glossary.