Highliners: The Classic Novel about the Commercial Fishermen of Alaska

A great book. Easy and fun to read.

I make my living teaching about commercial fishing. I am glad to see this book still in print so I can continue to recommend it to my students. It is, by far, the most entertaining and historically accurate account of Southwest Alaska and fishing from the 50's to the 70's. It should be required reading for anyone who fishes crab, salmon, and groundfish out there. Bill is a great writer, and this book is more or less his own experience. It is good for both its historical accuracy and the personal story of what is was like to see our fisheries develop to what they are today. He continues to come here and go out on boats to learn and write more. There is no else one who has the combination of great writing skill and experience in these fisheries, and this book is well worth reading. You will enjoy the story, you will learn something, and you will want to be Bill McCloskey (and live through it, like he did).

A great novel written by someone who has been there. The reader can feel and smell the Alaskan fishing industry as the writer takes you from 'greenhorn' to 'highliner'.

I've only fished from a pier and was bored to tears. When I read Highliners a number of years ago, I was transfixed. Although the novel didn't make me want to try fishing again any time soon, I loved being caught up in the exciting, frightening, and very tough life of Alaska fishermen. Readers of The Perfect Storm would probably enjoy this. The earthquake scene is especially thrilling. My only criticism--the romance is a clunker.

I lived on Kodiak and fished the same waters as Hank Crawford. I have heard the mayday calls and listened while the Coast Guard looked for friends forever lost to their love in life, fishing. The book not only portrays the life of a fisherman but life on an island, an isolated island. A place where people will reach out and touch your life forever before you knew they had. Adele's reaction to not only Hank but the rest of the crew is how most fisherman's wives are, loving, open, honest and always ready with a warm bed and meal upon the return home. It makes me long for the simple days of home.

True to life book about the worlds harest job. Very well written.