Rating: 
Summary: Superb Reading
Review: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was spellbound the whole way. In January 1998 the fishing vessel,La Conte sank,leaving its crew struggling in 100 mph winds and 90-foot seas. Spike Walker took me there emotionaly and made me see and feel the heroic Coast Guard rescue of the ship's crew. I can still visualize the helicopter below the tops of the gigantic waves. Spike Walker doesn't tell the story, he takes you there and places you in the middle of the ocean fighting the gigantic waves and freezing water. You can see and feel every emotion.It's hard not to get goose bumps. After reading this book I have a completely different view of the Coast Guard. I can't imagine anything harder to do than to patrol Alaskan Waters, determined to rescue anyone in danger, no matter what the odds. My hat is off to Spike Walker:
Rating:
Summary: "I've Been There"
Review: After 20 years in the Coast Guard as a rescue pilot, I can attest, Spike has got it right! I flew the HH-52 in the prologue of "Working on the edge", spent 10 of 20 years in Kodiak and know some of the people involved. He captured the fear, the pride, the adrenaline rush, the feeling of accomplishment, the bravery and the "spirit de corps" of our noble service. Those who attack the grammar and use of adverbs missed the point and flavor of this great story teller. It wasn't all scary crap in the USCG as evidenced in my book "I Never Liked Those C-130's Anyway". Keep them coming Spike!
Malcolm Smith
Rating:
Summary: As real as is gets, without having been there yourself
Review: After reading the reviews of this book, i came away with the feeling that most people loved this book. I did more than read it, I lived it. I was a crewman in the first CG helo that arrived on scene. unless you have lived through it, it's hard to imagine 90 foot waves. but its true. this book portrays the events of the night of jan. 30 1998 as real as you can possibly do without having actual video. On the other hand, i have to agree with one reviewer. what happened on that night was not heroic, we just did our jobs as we are trained, and i would do it again if asked. this is what makes the USCG the best air/sea rescue agency in the world.
Rating:
Summary: Walker does it again!
Review: Although his two previous works--Nights of Ice and Working on the Edge--are tough acts to follow, Walker rises to the occassion with Coming Back Alive. With his uncanny ability to immerse the reader into the situations in which his unfortunate subjects find themselves, Walker provides an incredible account of the ill-fated crew of the Salmon boat La Conte. Walker's vivid descriptions make you feel as if you were floating along side the La Conte crewmembers during the frigid January night or sitting on the flight deck of the H-60 helicopters that attempted to perform a rescue in the brutally hostile conditions. If you enjoyed works such as the Perfect Storm, The Ship and the Storm, etc, this is a must read. Once you finish the book, you'll hope Walker is working on another book to satisfy the insatiable urge to experience the harrowing tales he so aptly tells.
Rating:
Summary: Walker does it again!
Review: Although his two previous works--Nights of Ice and Working on the Edge--are tough acts to follow, Walker rises to the occassion with Coming Back Alive. With his uncanny ability to immerse the reader into the situations in which his unfortunate subjects find themselves, Walker provides an incredible account of the ill-fated crew of the Salmon boat La Conte. Walker's vivid descriptions make you feel as if you were floating along side the La Conte crewmembers during the frigid January night or sitting on the flight deck of the H-60 helicopters that attempted to perform a rescue in the brutally hostile conditions. If you enjoyed works such as the Perfect Storm, The Ship and the Storm, etc, this is a must read. Once you finish the book, you'll hope Walker is working on another book to satisfy the insatiable urge to experience the harrowing tales he so aptly tells.
Rating:
Summary: A Surviving participant
Review: Having lived thru the actual event, and surviving 300+ hours on the phone with Spike, I still find myself picking up the book, not to relive portions, but to be revitalized by it, and to feel closer to my Skipper, Mark. Life does go on. His son, Mark jr. is thriving, and send's me card's with hand prints, and his family is wonderful. As a Coast Guard retiree, I would ask all readers to praise a Coastie when you see, or meet one. You never know, HE may just save your life, or a loved ones, or die trying.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping Suspense
Review: I'm no writer, and certainly no professional literary critic, but I know what I like to read. My wife gave me an autographed copy of this book, after we both read and raved about "Working On The Edge." (Which I bought because I recognized the writer's name from when we competed in the shot put in junior high school, 37 years ago.)
Coming Back Alive is one of those rare books that grabs you, and actually evokes a physical response. I had to occasionally set it down, and rest, because it was so powerful. The incredible drama of what happened when the lift of Doyle and Morley was attempted was like a blow to the gut. (Told you I was no writer.)
Compliments and congratulations to Mr. Walker. He has produced some tremendous books, and this is his best yet. Now, if I can get it away from my wife... Roger Bennett
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting Storytelling
Review: I've been in rough seas, lived in Alaska, and ridden in USCG rescue helicopters, and Spike Walker has nailed it all here. He has taken an obscure event from recent history and painted it with bold strokes, thorough research, and an insider's eye for detail. There were passages in this book that gave me goosebumps, and others that made me miss Alaska. It's a great read, and well deserving of praise. Thanks, Spike!
Rating:
Summary: real acts of heroism
Review: I've read the other readers criticisms -- it's not that I disagree, I just don't think they interfere with one's enjoyment of the book. Walker may have used too many adverbs or told us more than we needed to know about some families (I imagine he was going after Junger's technique in The Perfect Storm), but he still writes an absolutely riveting account of harrowing helicopter rescues over the most treacherous water in the U.S. The thought of a huge helicopter being blown back a few hundred feet is hard to imagine, yet that is just what happened during 3 rescues the same night with 100 foot rogue waves almost swallowing the helicopter. I enjoyed the descriptions of Alaska's fishing industry and thought Walker did an excellent job of weaving together various interviews. There may be smaller flaws with the book, but you still won't be able to put it down!
Rating: 
Summary: Flair or hype...?
Review: In reading the opening pages of chapter 1, Walker shows us how he paints with words... adjectives chosen a notch or two above what might be more accurate, if less exciting. I flew in the HH-3F Pelicans out of Kodiak, with Jimmy Ng and Tom Walters and others. My earliest missions were as search crew to help locate the bodies and wreckage of the 1471. I've been a hundred of miles out to sea in the HH-3F, in darkness above angry waters... pushed by high winds, the snow swirling around in the cabin, landing on the nav charts. I had to wipe the snow off just to read them. Yet as unusual as this experience might sound, it felt like we were just doing a job. No hype. No fish stories. (we saved that for the fishing :-) Walker presents perhaps an overinflated view. We weren't heroes, at least I never felt it. We just did the job, brought the helo back to the hangar, prepped it for flight, then hit the rack for some sleep. I always wore bright orange sox for "good luck", but beyond that, we simply put the bad behind us and did our work with coolness and reason. The amazing part of it was the circumstances that we sometimes found ourselves in, but the crews... we were just like everyone else. We did the best with what we were given. We always went out fully expecting that we'd come back. We never questioned it. There was no reason to accomodate those thoughts, and plenty of reasons not to. Walker colors the people he portrays as if they were larger than life, skilled beyond measure, a rare fire burning inside. But that wasn't us... at least it didn't seem that way having lived it. We were just guys with a job to do, so we did it.
|
