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Working on the Edge: Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession: King Crab Fishing on Alaska's Highseas

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Author: Spike Walker
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book

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Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

13 reviews
Sales Rank: 206843

Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 312
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.1 x 0.8

ISBN: 0312089244
Dewey Decimal Number: 639.544
EAN: 9780312089245
ASIN: 0312089244

Publication Date: February 4, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Like New, never read, may have small remainder mark - Ships from Canada by Air Mail, Delivery within 2 to 3 weeks, 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Over 150,000 Amazon.co.uk orders filled

Also Available In:

•	Hardcover - Working on the Edge: Surviving in the World's Most Dangerous Profession : King Crab Fishing on Alaska's High Seas

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Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

blimey! December 15, 2005
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Spike Walker and other crab fishermen have worked to and within mind-bending extremities, around Alaska. As the title aptly imples, they truly are 'working on the edge.'
i have to admit to feeling as if i were at sea whilst reading, apart from the intense cold. this is generally to do with his exacting language and apparent sense of balance, despite his sea-sickness, but as he quotes a fellow fisherman 'everyone gets sea-sick'. I know nothing about fishing or much about boats, but this had me riveted. You get a sense of the man who is writing, generally one who fairly romantic and strong, sometimes becoming enraptured by the whole experience in retrospective writing, but tends to keep that indulgence at bay, somewhat. If you like any sort of adventure, you'll really enjoy this. very readable. I want to give it 5 stars, but am giving it 4, only from the point of view that I am not an avid studier in his field and naturally, the adventurous parts will outweigh the factual parts, in interest value.

3 out of 5 stars

Over-rated September 1, 1999
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

As a commercial crab and salmon fisherman who worked out of Kodiak and Dutch Harbor at about the same time as Mr. Walker (I am actually somewhat surprised that I never met him), I had looked forward to reading this book for quite a while. But - I was disappointed. The book is a fairly accurate depiction of the life and times. The bar-life and the life at sea are described pretty accurately. However, I found Mr. Walker's various accounts of his own exploits to be tiresome (everthing from bench-pressing crewmates to his own virtuous avoidance of the drugs that were so prevelant). Further, the book is not very well edited. Notwitstanding the extensive research that he claims to have conducted, the book is full of minor inaccuracies, mis-identified people, and misspelled words. For example, he refers to a marine radio as a "VHS" radio (it is actually a "VHF" radio). He also mis-spells the name of Peggy Dyson (who was in fact truly an icon for mariners in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska) as Peggy "Dison." OK, these are minor examples, but there are quite a few of these, and there were also a number of mis-statements of fact that I can't recall at the moment. These errors are pretty unprofessional, and they make the book somewhat annoying to read. Overall, it's probably worth reading just to get a feel for what the lifestyle was like during the Alaska Fishing Boom Years. But it could have been better.

5 out of 5 stars

Reading on the Edge!!!! June 20, 1999
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Walker puts you in his hip pocket and takes you out to sea. Arm in arm, Walker took me through finding a job on a crabbing boat to trolling the boomtown bars. While he was putting in 24 hour days crabbing I was exhausted, when he was enduring subzero temperatures I froze. His research brings the reader onto a boat then immerses him into a freezing sea. This real life account is 5 times the action as A Perfect Storm.

5 out of 5 stars

An exciting, gripping adventure from cover to cover! March 6, 1999
Mr. Walker has a true gift of "painting" detailed illustrations with words! I felt as if I had been through every intense moment with these brave men and women as they lived and died on the high seas of Alaska. A terrific read!

5 out of 5 stars

As close to being there as you can be through reading February 20, 1999
Having experienced many simular situations to the author during my fishing days, I need to tip my hat (Helly Hansen raingear hood, really) to him for putting into words what it's like to push human endurance beyond reality and what happens when you do. Too many have heard romantized accounts of big money without the counterbalance of pain, injury, and death that go with it. Hopefully Mr. Walker's account will slow the tide, and open eyes to unseen dangers. By the same token, what a thrill it is to have worked with the best of the best, under the most demanding conditions, and overcome it all - that thrill is there as well. Nicely done, Spike - I have the feeling I'd be happy to take a turn on deck with you any time (assuming either of us are still up for such foolishness!)