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The Hungry Ocean MP3 CD – MP3 Audio, June 28, 2006

by Linda Greenlaw (Author, Reader)

4.5 595 ratings

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The term fisherwoman does not exactly roll trippingly off the tongue, and Linda Greenlaw, the world's only female swordfish boat captain, isn't flattered when people insist on calling her one. "I am a woman. I am a fisherman. . . I am not a fisherwoman, fisherlady, or fishergirl. If anything else, I am a thirty-seven-year-old tomboy. It's a word I have never outgrown."

Greenlaw also happens to be one of the most successful fishermen in the Grand Banks commercial fleet, though until the publication of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, "nobody cared." Greenlaw's boat, the Hannah Boden, was the sister ship to the doomed Andrea Gail, which disappeared in the mother of all storms in 1991 and became the focus of Junger's book.

The Hungry Ocean, Greenlaw's account of a monthlong swordfishing trip over 1,000 nautical miles out to sea, tells the story of what happens when things go right―proving, in the process, that every successful voyage is a study in narrowly averted disaster. There is the weather, the constant danger of mechanical failure, the perils of controlling five sleep-, women-, and booze-deprived young fishermen in close quarters, not to mention the threat of a bad fishing run: "If we don't catch fish, we don't get paid, period. In short, there is no labor union."

Greenlaw's straightforward, uncluttered prose underscores the qualities that make her a good captain, regardless of gender: fairness, physical and mental endurance, obsessive attention to detail. But, ultimately, Greenlaw proves that the love of fishing―in all of its grueling, isolating, suspenseful glory―is a matter of the heart and blood, not the mind.

"I knew that the ocean had stories to tell me, all I needed to do was listen."―Svenja Soldovieri

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (June 28, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1423314263
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1423314264
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.5 x 6.75 inches

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4.5 595 ratings

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Linda Greenlaw

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Linda Greenlaw, America's only female swordfish boat captain, was featured in the book and film The Perfect Storm. She has written three New York Times bestselling nonfiction books about life as a commercial fisherman as well as a cookbook and two mysteries.

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Terry W. Evers

A very engaging fishing adventure

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023

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I've read several commercial fishing books, and written one of my own, and I have to say that Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw is one of the best. From the first few pages, as a reader I felt as if I were one of the crew heading out for a month-long trip to the Banks. Linda does a masterful job providing readers insights into her thinking about fishing strategies, balancing the delicate crew personalities, communicating with the boat owner, and reflecting on the ups and downs of the the swordfishing industry. What's unique, too, is that she chose a single fishing trip for the book's premise rather than a season or multiple seasons. If you enjoy salty adventures or have a fascination the fishing industry on the East Coast, check this one out.

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Jonathan Sabin

Fascinating look at a job I don't want!

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2001

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Who didn't see the film, (or read the novel) The Perfect Storm? Not many of you, given its status as one of the top-grossing motion pictures of all time. The story made for riveting reading--and with the addition of some very high-tech special effects--a dramatic movie. It was a fictionalized account of actual events surrounding the loss of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing vessel lost at sea with all of its crew during a horrific storm in 1991.

One of the characters in that story, Linda Greenlaw, captain of the Andrea Gail's sister ship, the Hannah Boden, has written a fascinating tale of life aboard a swordboat--minus the tragedy. What happens when everything 'goes right' is the theme of Greenlaw's The Hungry Ocean: a Swordboat Captain's Journey.

To most of us, the concept of spending a month or more at sea in smelly, cramped quarters, working torturous 20-hour days and MAYBE getting a paycheck to show for it, (depending on how good the catch is), hardly seems worth the effort. Linda Greenlaw is one of the most successful swordboat captains, and it's very obvious she loves her work. That she is perhaps the world's ONLY female swordboat captain is incidental to the story.

After reading this book, it would be hard to enjoy a meal of grilled swordfish without reflecting upon just what it took to get it on the plate. Over 12,000 pounds of bait and $4,000 worth of groceries is loaded on board and stuffed into every conceivable nook and cranny prior to heading to sea. On the trip out, thousands of hook-and-leader sets are crafted, which are then attached to the 40-odd miles of line played out every single night--a 'set.' With a baited hook every 100 yards or so, they consider themselves fortunate if they haul in 20 or 30 fish per set; typically running about 15 sets per trip.

Despite the fact that she is not an author by profession, Greenlaw very competently conveys a picture of life aboard a swordboat. Hungry Ocean is an entertaining and fascinating read! (I bought an additional copy as a gift for my father-in-law, whose late father was also a fisherman out of Gloucester, Mass. HE loved it too!)

- Jonathan Sabin

16 people found this helpful

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J. E. B.

EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF THE WORLD OF COMMERCIAL FISHING

Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2001

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In addition to being an excellent Captain, Linda Greenlaw is a very good author. Though having brought her boat and crew safely through the infamous 'Perfect Storm', she elected to write here not about that dramatic and very well publicized experience, but instead to tell us of the somewhat equally difficult everyday world of the commercial fisherman.
She takes the reader through a normal month long commercial fishing trip, from the New England coast to the Grand Banks and return. Every detail is covered from 'turn-around'(the unloading, cleaning, restocking and preparing of the boat between trips), through navigating, fishing, competing, managing the crew and handling the weather, to returning and satisfying the demands of the boat owner.
Miss Greenlaw presents the narrative of this experience in a smooth, flowing way that captures and holds the reader's attention from beginning to end. And, the knowledge that this is a true account, taken from the day-to-day log entries of an actual trip, adds to the excitement for the reader.

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S. Walden

A must for those who have that mysterious calling to the sea

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2000

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This book is not a companion nor a sequel to 'the Perfect Storm". It can be read before, after, and can stand alone on it's own merit. Man, I wish I coulda been there. The writing is so good you could see a drunk, nearly frozen to death. You can feel a cold wave knock the snot out of you. You want to taste the cook's cooking. You want to tell people arguing to shut up. You want to grab a blue "dog" and chunk it overboard. This makes me want to go fishing now. Now now now. Right now. Here and now. You get the idea.
The author's transparency allows us to see her strengths as well as her weaknesses. She alludes to the possibility of writing another book. I'm ready now.
I've already ordered the tape too. This is the first book I started reading twice back to back in a long time.
This is not a literary work to be critiqued in the artistic sense. Read it and take it at face value for the story line.
This is one of my favorites if not THE favorite.
Gimme more. Hurry up. I'm signed up for more works by Ms. Greenlaw on this site if she decides to write another one similar to this.

5 people found this helpful

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Denise J. King

A Good Read!

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022

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Well written. I devoured this book in one day. She explains things simply and paints a wide picture for your mind. I would definitely recommend this book.

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Amazon Customer

An excellent read

Reviewed in Canada on May 14, 2017

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Linda does a great job of telling those of us who have never experienced offshore fishing the truth of the experience. All the right details in all the right places, no unnecessary drama, it really allows the reader to feel the reality. Thank you.

杉山

海と船と魚が好きなら

Reviewed in Japan on August 2, 2017

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海と船と魚が好きなら、引き込まれること間違いなし。これと「ロブスターの島…」しか翻訳版がないのが残念です。

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Peadar O'Sullivan

Very interesting book especially as I have already read Perfect Storm. Ms Greenlaw comes across as an absolutely ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2015

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Very interesting book especially as I have already read Perfect Storm. Ms Greenlaw comes across as an absolutely no-nonsense kind of person, very capable & definitely not one to suffer fools, gladly or otherwise. I was surprised to hear she has also collaborated in the cookery book business - it makes a big change from the way she comes across in this book

Elidor

Great book for anyone who loved The Perfect Storm.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 11, 2021

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Wonderful book for any lover of The Perfect Storm. Well written.

大柳修一

グランドバンクス

Reviewed in Japan on May 12, 2015

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読み応えのある本です。仕事にも応用できる船長の考え方参考になります。