Rating: 
Summary: A Beautifully Crafted True Account
Review: Spike Walker has crafted a true account of the "World's Most Dangerous Occupation", fishing off Alaska's, beautiful, yet treacherous coast. Walker is first and foremost a writer. Sure he LIVED the life he writes about in "Coming Back Alive", but he doesn't merely describe the events. Walker's craftsmanship transports the reader to Alaska. You know the helicopter pilot. You feel the 70 foot waves as Walker, thankfully for the reader, allows us a glimpse into HIS world. What a world it is. There is majestic beauty, and the raw power of nature,and the courage of the men and women living in our "Last Frontier". The book is written as a tribute to those who tempt nature by fishing her waters and the bravery of the United States Coast Guard. It's about heroes, and the true "spirit of American Independence". You'll love this True Story by a real master wordsmith. As a talk show host I read hundreds of books and this is only the second review I've ever written on Amazon. I KNOW you'll love this book, and writers, read this to improve YOUR style. Walker is quite possibly the best writer alive today. Read COMING BACK ALIVE and see for yourself Erskine, host Erskine Overnight (Saturdays on Business Talk Radio)
Rating: 
Summary: Mostly Accurate
Review: The book is mostly accurate. Several key errors in the chronological order of some history of the survivors.
The cover is completly inaccurate. The H-60's were the
planes used for the rescue yet the book portrays the H-65.
Rating:
Summary: Spike Walker NAILED It!!
Review: This book is a great adventure book. I just finished it and I feel wasted; completely blown away. It makes the Perfect Storm seem like the Perfectly BORING Storm. How the previous reviewer could write off the entire book (not R. Doyles' review) and not find a kind or encouraging thing to say about such a work is beyond me. Spike Walker gives us a rare and often breath taking view of what it takes to survive as a commercial fisherman working on Alaska's wilderness waters. No doubt this is because he once lived the robust life that he now writes about. In this book he has basically chosen to focus on three horrific events out of the thousands of missions flown during the twenty-five year history of Sitka's famed Search and Rescue squad. He tells the stories through the eyes of the fishermen and Coast Guardsmen who experience them.
I once lived in Kodiak and have talked with several of the Coast Guard pilots who still live there and actually flew in these "mission impossibles." I also talked to two of the fishermen they rescued from certain death in separate incidents in the book. And to a man they responded enthusiastically to what Walker wrote about them. One of the pilots I talked to fought 120 mph winds and dodged 90 foot seas while attempting to lower a rescue basket to the five crewmen ( two of whom eventually died) who had abandoned ship without even a life raft when the fishing vessel La Conte sank suddenly from under them. Anyway, that pilot described the book this way: "Whats my opinion of 'Coming Back Alive'? That's easy because I was there. Spike Walker NAILED it!"
Rating:
Summary: 5 STARS ALL THE WAY!
Review: This book is a MASTERPIECE! How ANYONE could rate it with 3 stars is beyond my wildest imagination! This latest book by Mr. Walker has all the qualities that a great, well told story should have! I have kept up with the majority of his reviews, his readings and signings, and have yet to meet or hear from ANYONE who doesn't COMPLETELY and THOROUGHLY enjoy this book! I both read AND saw the movie, "The Perfect Storm". I need to tell you that movies that leave me with no hope or good feelings whatsoever, are NOT movies I enjoy or would bring home for my family! This was the case of "The Perfect Storm". I never want to see it again, but I will read and reread Mr. Walkers book, probably until it is so dog-eared that I need to buy ANOTHER copy. This is definetly a must-get book! It is well worth every dollar! He is both compassionate and direct, and the finale of this book is a high tribute to those he knew, worked with and wrote about! With the great review from James Michener, about "Working On The Edge", I can only imagine the kind of review that he would have given Mr. Walker on "Coming Back Alive..."! This far surpasses "Working....", although I truly enjoyed both of Walkers previous books!
Rating: 
Summary: Spike; let's get back to basics!
Review: Walker's first book, Working on the Edge, was outstanding. It is written in a manner that holds the reader start to finish. Nights of Ice, was pretty good but started to sink in comparison to the first book. Coming Back Alive, like many of the F/V Walker writes about is a 'sinker'. The one complete sea adventure included is enhanced with page after page of unnecessary information such as childrens names, home towns and high schools attended. Come on Spike. Get back to your original down-home style of writing.
Rating:
Summary: disjointed
Review: While Walker successfully conveys the tension and fatigue of the rescuers and the terror of the rescuees, he is not a friend of language. His technical descriptions, biographical paragraphs and unrelated chapters make this a difficult story to follow. The editors should have shortened this book by about half by cutting information and tightening up the writing. It is a great story but a challenge to read
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