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Summary: Clearly blessed twice as both Fisherman and Writer!
Review: Linda Greenlaw captured her journey with such detail and character I felt like I was right there with her on the pointy end of the ship. I sincerely hope she will continue to write more material on her adventures at sea.
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Summary: You'll Feel the Salt Spray in Your Face!
Review: The details of one specific swordfishing trip nearly 1,000 miles to the Grand Banks by the Hannah Boden. The Hannah Boden was the sister ship to the Andrea Gail from "The Perfect Storm". In fact the author, Linda Greenlaw was skippering the Hanna Boden 600 miles east of the Andrea Gail when the Storm hit and upon returning past Sable Island recovered 55 gallon barrels with AG on the side stenciled on the side. If you're interested in how people and things work and specifically commercial fishing for swordfish you'll enjoy this book very much. Greenlaw was schooled as a writer but chose for a period the rugged life of a fishing captain. She has the eye and attention to detail necessary find the fish while keeping the crew safe and to make you feel like you are there working nearly around the clock until your actions are more like a zombie than human. This book is similar in many ways to "Working on the Edge". One being about finding and harvesting swordfish and the other about finding and harvesting Alaskan King Crabs. Both lines of work offered the potential for very high rewards but also very long hours, dangerous, and exhausting work.
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Summary: hungry ocean, means just that....
Review: Perfect Storm readers need this one. Good follow up, but all fishermen to gold miners (man or woman) will relate to this book. Especially skippers, crab pots to seiners, million dollar boats to 16 foot runabouts, you qualify. Your the skipper. Greenlaw tells/writes it for real. Fishing. For those of you that live in a 'pretend world', language etc.,don't read it. If you fish, any kind, for real, read it. Also a lot of fun stuff, like the guy headed for 'Ireland', usually 'China' for us Pacific Ocean people. Greenlaw writes like she thinks. Refreshing. Example: Other so called authors might say ; "the sun arose slowly bringing with it all the splendid glory of the new day as the flickering rays danced upon the cold and wispy waves hiding the creatures within", etc., etc., etc. NOT GREENLAW, "the sun came up, new day,let's get on". She says it like it was/is. So, ya gotta be kinda 'fishy' to really like Lindas book, from my view, but even gold miners will find her 'grub lists' very real. She repeatedly refers to her " MIND'S EYE " (what her brain envisioned) certain things to be, and wrote them. She does the same thing with her " MIND'S THOUGHTS", put them in print. She writes like she thinks. Precisely. Remember the old saying: 'Women don't think like men', well, I'am not so sure about that anymore. Especially when it comes to fishing. Almost sacred !! Anyway, forget the woman thing and even if you are a swordfish fisherman, you might learn something.
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Summary: An authentic story by a truly adventurous woman
Review: If you love the sea and admire brave women, you'll love this book. The author wrote it after the success of 'The Perfect Storm'. She was the skipper of the sister vessel of the one featured in the famous book. I preferred Linda Greenlaw's book by far: instead of a tale of disaster, this is a tale of success, of safe return and of careful seamanship. In her book, Mrs Greenlaw describes a month-long swordfishing trip from Gloucester to the international waters off the Grand banks. Her descriptions are factual and down-to-earth. No heroics with this lady. Her book has a near documentary quality which I have found most fascinating. Whether intentional or not, this book counterbalances the extreme dramatisation of 'The Perfect Storm'.
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Summary: Good for it's technical description of swordfishing tactics
Review: This book is the perfect companion for those arm-chair fishermen who like to read about the sea. In addition to being a personal memoir this book is a technical description of the techniques that are used in swordfishing from the tackle that is engaged to techniques used to navigate the ocean. I found the author's description of how you navigate to the fishing grounds an interesting read. This part of the book reminds me of long sections on celestial navigation found in William F. Buckley's books on sailing. In reading both sometimes you have to back up and reread paragraphs so you can make sure you understand the geometry that is explained. It is this mastery of the ebb and flow of the ocean currents, the finer points of navigation, and an understanding of the electronics on board that makes Linda Greenlaw able to find the best fishing spots. And she claims to be the best fisherman in the fleet. As the author Linda Greenlaw explains she uses transducers and transponders that can measure the water temperature at both the surface and a dozen fathoms beneath the sea. Then she uses doppler radar to calculate how fast currents below the surface are running in relation to the surface itself. She writes down all of this in her journal plus the positions of the other boats in the fleet and the locations of the 40 miles of fishing line each has floating free in the ocean. Then she considers the winds, the stage of the moon, and the rising weather to find a place and a time to set her tackle. Keeping track of all these many variables allows the reader to participate in the strategy, the successes, and the setbacks that accompany the fishing trip. I wonder if Linda Greenlaw's friends in the swordfishing fleet will be peeved that she gave away so many of their secrets in this book. As she points out there is a gently rivalry between boat captains that cause them to keep secret information on where the fish are located and how to catch them. Armed with the technical minutiae in this book, the ordinary lobster or crab fisherman could travel to the Grand Banks and start catching something more lucrative than crabs or lobsters, namely swordfish. If you read "The Hungry Ocean" you should also read "Giant Bluefin" by Douglas Whynott. And I also recommend any of the numerous fishing books written by Zane Grey, author of "The Riders of the Purple Sage". Ernest Hemingway's "Islands in the Stream" is about fishing for billfish as well.
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Summary: Great book!
Review: I read the book and liked it very much. It's informative, interesting, and breezy. Linda has a unique writing style. I read the entire book in one afternoon--just couldn't put it down! A few weeks ago I actually met her at the Fisherman's Memorial Cenotaph Ceremony on September 3, here in Gloucester at the Man at the Wheel statue on Stacy Boulevard. The purpose of the ceremony was to honor the over 5000 fishermen from Gloucester who went out fishing and didn't return. She was the keynote speaker, however I did not meet her personally. I recommend the book to anyone who loves the ocean and wants to read about swordboat fishing. If you like The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger and, of course, the movie, you will love this book.
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Summary: Excellent read
Review: Excellent book, After reading or seeing the film The Perfect Storm, read this book. Linda is an excellent writer she really keeps your attention, at times I found myself shocked and sad, and other times I was laughing so hard I could hardly read. A true story not to be missed.
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Summary: into my wolrd, comes a huge adventure
Review: this book is a gift of words that are so special to people who dont get any where closer to the water than eating a fish burger. She tells all about the ocean, the care of and the getting of fish BIG ONES. How it is to be be out there, no reference to land, and out of your touch with loved ones, and to be in a rush to get them with all the best of science and whileyness with the fish, the moon, the waves, the sun, and yourself And how complex we are It is very gd reading and real
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Summary: Terrific Book, Extremely Well-Written
Review: This was a very well-written book which did a terrific job of detailing life on a month long swordfishing expedition. The relationships among the crew and between the deckhand and the female captain are vividly portrayed. There are several passages where you can literally smell the oil, fish and salt air. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Wow, I have a great job.
Review: This is a terrific book. In comparison to Perfect Storm, the success of which launched this book, Linda Greenlaw offers a lively, inside view of life on an American fishing boat. You learn about the job, the risks, the hard work, the personal will, and the science of offshore fishing. It's a rough world, with 20 hour days under sun and rain, crampt quarters and lots of dead fish. However Greenlaw loves her world, and makes you appreciate the people who live in it. It's real, it's immediate, it's immense. You close the book understanding her love of the sea, the world of a fisherman, and how lucky you are to sleep at home at night.
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