Herman Melville (August 1, 1819-September 28, 1891) was an American-born writer. His extensive sea travels provided rich resources for his writing. His novels were incredibly popular, beginning with Typee, Omoo, Mardi, Redburn, and White-Jacket. The publication of his most famous work, Moby-Dick, actually damaged his career; readers misunderstood the symbolism of the work and were disillusioned by its tragic ending. After one further novel and a few short stories, Melville gave up on writing and turned to other professions. He turned to writing again only shortly before his death.