Helpful Score: 5
Not as lyrical and inspiring as some ocean travel or adventure stories, but it sure gives you the feel of the life of professional fishermen aboard a swordfish long-liner. If you took notes you could fit out your own expedition. Great read about something you wouldn't want to actually DO for two days staight, let alone a month! The book gives a new appreciation for the next swordfish or tuna steak you eat.
George H. (space-ranger04) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 11 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Linda Greenlaw can not only fish, she can tell a tale like no other. I have immensly enjoyed reading several of her books thus far. This book tells of one particular fishing trip aboard The Hanna Boden, the ship that Linda captained for years, and as many know was also the sister ship to The Andrea Gail, the ill faited longliner featured in Sebastian Youngers The Perfect Storm. Anyone who enjoys adventure, comedy, drama, fiction or nonficiton will find something to enjoy here, as Linda details the ups and downs of life spent longlining for swordfish on Grand Banks of the Atlantic ocean.
Tamara B. (bloomernut) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 49 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
A lot of this book focuses on the author as being a female in an almost exclusively male field. Stories aren't that fascinating and I found myself wandering a lot.
Michelle W. (roklover) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I very much enjoyed reading this book. I find it enjoyable to read and live vicariously through the author. It is the ONLy way that I would want to experience what she does!
Helpful Score: 2
Super book about a woman who captains a fishing boat. Really interesting!
June A. (pertdoe) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 191 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a really good book. The story of a women fishing boat captain who commands her ship and crew. As good as the perfect storm. I loved the book from beginning to end and recommend it to anywone who loves true adventure stories.
Robin M. (robinm) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 57 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Yawn! I could have saved this woman about 300 pages and renamed the book "Swordfishing is hard work and usually tedious, not exciting". Just because you do something that is out of the ordinary does not mean you will write a bio/memoir that captivates attention. The only thing I found remotely interesting was reading what the salary was for one month of swordfishing.
Helpful Score: 1
Mind blowing adventure with a chick hero! Two thumbs up!
This was a very good book. I liked the fact that Linda is doing a job in a male dominated industry. You go girl!!
Great companion text to The Discovery Channel's new series: "Swords: Life on the Line"
Cpt Linda Greenlaw has been there and done that for many many years, and tells her story.
Cpt Linda Greenlaw has been there and done that for many many years, and tells her story.
Linda is an incredible author. Her story is totally captivating. I couldn't put this book down (and I hate fishing!). Consequently, I am now working my way thru all of her books.
A good read, she's not Hemingway, though.
Marian L. (sunfish) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 209 more book reviews
"A beautiful book--a story of triumph, of a woman not only making it, but succeeding at the highest level in one of the most male-dominated and most dangerous professions." New York Times Book Review
"In his number one bestseller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger describes Linda Greenlaw as 'one of the best sea captains, period, on the East Coast.'" (back cover)
"In his number one bestseller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger describes Linda Greenlaw as 'one of the best sea captains, period, on the East Coast.'" (back cover)
Patricia W. (she-reads) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 47 more book reviews
Very interesting book.This gals endurance blows me away, WOW
Janette E. (luvbooks) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 126 more book reviews
"A beautiful book...a story of triumph, of a woman not only making it but succeeding at the highest level in one of the most male-dominated and most dangerous professions"
Cinthia S. (cindymama) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 69 more book reviews
I read this after watching and then reading The Perfect Storm. I much preferred this book to both that other movie and novel. Well written and very descriptive.
Gary L. (Lovemaster) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 54 more book reviews
Linda Greenlaw in a interesting person and a good writer. I found this book hard to put down.
i read this book some time ago. i remember it to be an intereting and eye opening look at deep sea fishing, but i also remember the author repeatedly going on about how she cannot find a husband, and i ended up believing she wrote both her books as "single white female" ads.
Robert S. (radonfish) - , reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 131 more book reviews
great modern sea story
Sylvia S. (whiteazalea) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 66 more book reviews
Linda Greenlaw was a boat captain and friends with the guys involved in the "Perfect Storm". Fast action and great stories of her adventures.
Rhiannon T. (snodgrass) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 3 more book reviews
It's been several years since I read this book but I enjoyed it greatly!
This book really caught my attention. First, like most people, I was familiar with Capt. Linda Greenlaw from the book and movie The Perfect Storm. The second is the fact my family had a long heritage in commercial fishing, in particular seine fishing in Alaska. This was a world that I did not have a lot of interest in when I was younger (when I saw the long days and hard work involved, I opted to go to college instead). As I grew older, I became more interested in stories of fisherman and stories of the sea, parts of the life I could have led. I knew nothing of longline fishing or sword fishing, so I thought it would be a great read for me.
The Hungry Ocean is a book you really have to take it for what it is. It is basically a diary of a month long journey out to sea to catch swordfish. The book also contains snippets from throughout Capt. Greenlaws career that spice up the book some, but in the end, it is a diary of a fishing trip. There is not a lot of white knuckled action, people are not dying in storms, and the fishing is not always good. However, what the story does tell is how people interact when confined in close spaces and the problems you face as a result, how long line fishing is done, how fish are processed and stored, what goes into making a successful fishing trip, and how the crew is paid in the end. I even picked up a fishing tip or two from the book. Overall, the book gives a remarkable view of what it is like to be a fisherman on the East Coast.
I thought this was a great book as the subject interested me and it was one I could personally relate to. I was quite surprised at Capt. Greenlaws writing abilities. She was really able to make a book about a month at sea with its short bursts of excitement and long stretches of monotony into a really great read. She was able to bring the reader into her world and make the reader feel the excitement of fighting a 400+ pound swordfish and feel the crushing blow when the crew finds out they have to spend one more day on the ocean when they are so ready to go home.
Overall, this was a worthwhile read. It is not a print version of the Deadliest Catch, but rather a great narrative of a sword fishing journey. I would highly recommend it to someone who was considering hopping a plane to Alaska and trying to find a fishing job after watching too much Discovery Channel so they can get an idea what they are about to get themselves into. Id also highly recommend it if the topic of commercial fishing is of interest to you. You will not be disappointed.
The Hungry Ocean is a book you really have to take it for what it is. It is basically a diary of a month long journey out to sea to catch swordfish. The book also contains snippets from throughout Capt. Greenlaws career that spice up the book some, but in the end, it is a diary of a fishing trip. There is not a lot of white knuckled action, people are not dying in storms, and the fishing is not always good. However, what the story does tell is how people interact when confined in close spaces and the problems you face as a result, how long line fishing is done, how fish are processed and stored, what goes into making a successful fishing trip, and how the crew is paid in the end. I even picked up a fishing tip or two from the book. Overall, the book gives a remarkable view of what it is like to be a fisherman on the East Coast.
I thought this was a great book as the subject interested me and it was one I could personally relate to. I was quite surprised at Capt. Greenlaws writing abilities. She was really able to make a book about a month at sea with its short bursts of excitement and long stretches of monotony into a really great read. She was able to bring the reader into her world and make the reader feel the excitement of fighting a 400+ pound swordfish and feel the crushing blow when the crew finds out they have to spend one more day on the ocean when they are so ready to go home.
Overall, this was a worthwhile read. It is not a print version of the Deadliest Catch, but rather a great narrative of a sword fishing journey. I would highly recommend it to someone who was considering hopping a plane to Alaska and trying to find a fishing job after watching too much Discovery Channel so they can get an idea what they are about to get themselves into. Id also highly recommend it if the topic of commercial fishing is of interest to you. You will not be disappointed.
Christine (luvmygem) -
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. From the publicity of the book and movie "A Perfect Storm" I was familiar with the author, and I knew before I opened this book that it was written by someone intensely familiar with the subject matter, basically the fishing industry. While Linda Greenlaw was already an interesting character in my mind, this book confirms that. The book is basically a documentation of a typical fishing trip with a few flashbacks to her unique and I would say almost idyllic childhood as well as her early career as a fisherman. When she tells her story of this current fishing trip, it is obvious that she knows what she is talking about. What is surprising is her talent for writing - even someone unfamiliar with commercial fishing will be able to follow her description of the entire process of a fishing trip, and appreciate the technical, scientific and human relations sides of this amazing job.
All in all, a very well-written book about an intensely interesting subject. I;m looking forward to reading her other book, "The Lobster Chronicles"
All in all, a very well-written book about an intensely interesting subject. I;m looking forward to reading her other book, "The Lobster Chronicles"
Sheila G. (miatasheila) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 19 more book reviews
I"ve read this book a few times. It's a companion story to The Perfect Storm. Greenlaw, the author worked on the companion ship to the Andrea Gail.
It isn't a rehash of the Andrea gails disappearance, but how her life was impacted, and changed as a result.
It isn't a rehash of the Andrea gails disappearance, but how her life was impacted, and changed as a result.
A great easy read about a woman's life on the ocean.
Greenlaw's writing if very straightforward and accessible. Thus, this book is a great way to learn about offshore fishing. AND to appreciate the work fisherman do.
Tish O. (tish) -
The author has written an incredible book about life as the only female swordfish longline captain. at times it was a little technical about the different names of lines and hooks etc. The Author's nmae is in the book The Perfect Storm as she was the sister ship to the Andrea Gail.
a very good read.
a very good read.
Excellent book. The author was featured in "The Perfect Storm", captain of the Hannah Boden.
was on Times bestseller list for 3 months. beautifully written recreating the experiences of going for the swordfish against tremendous odds. the surprise here is that the captain is a woman!
April D. (knittymama) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 424 more book reviews
Wow! I don't know that there is more I can say about a real life story of a female fisherman. Wow!
April C. (gratefulapril) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 4 more book reviews
Linda Greenlaw is compelling author who has keen humor and keeps you reading more. She is strong, yet still a woman on the ocean. I enjoyed this book.
Helen B. (hmbeesley) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 63 more book reviews
Loved this book. She is a natural story teller. Pulls you right in!
Krista m M. (WyoKrista) reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 101 more book reviews
wonderful adventure
Samantha Y. (samanthachels) - reviewed The Hungry Ocean : A Swordboat Captain's Journey on + 137 more book reviews
The excitement starts immediately, even before Greenlaw and her five-man crew leave the dock--and doesn't stop until the last page. While under way, she must contend with savage weather, equipment failure, too few fish, and too many sharks--not to mention the routinely backbreaking work of operating a fishing boat in a state of mind-numbing exhaustion after working ten 21-hour days in a row.
With a true fisherman's gift for spinning a yarn and a voice that's wry, honest, and all her own, Greenlaw brings readers right on deck with her and her crew, re-creating the experience of going for the big haul against awesome odds. At once a thrilling page-turner and a passionate ode to a fascinating way of life, The Hungry Ocean will captivate lovers of the sea, adventure, and literature alike.
With a true fisherman's gift for spinning a yarn and a voice that's wry, honest, and all her own, Greenlaw brings readers right on deck with her and her crew, re-creating the experience of going for the big haul against awesome odds. At once a thrilling page-turner and a passionate ode to a fascinating way of life, The Hungry Ocean will captivate lovers of the sea, adventure, and literature alike.
A perfect storm of a book...good read
Good story of what its like to fish the Greater Banks for sword fish. You have to be crazy to do this for a living. Story written by a woman captain.
