Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs

I loved this book. I wasn't sure what to expect when I purchased it but it was well worth the read. I laughed, cried, laughed some more, and just couldn't put the book down. I really enjoyed it.

I was really excited to receive this book and I immediately got to work on it. I finished it in under 2 days and was only disappointed that the book had to end. On a subject that has been done (recently) by many authors I found a fresh outlook on the subject. It was a story that was written out of love and passion. The armature writer skills were seen in the book, but the plot and story was so driving that I did not even care, in fact it was refreshing to have a story told in such a raw and honest form. The story of their lives is an engaging and touching tale that is tied together in the story of Jonathan's ordeal. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially someone who wants a good, passionate story that is raw and free of the bloating of modern literature.

This is a true "HARROWING" spine-tingling story about Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand, two brothers who make their living as Alaskan Bering Sea crab fisherman. This captivating book is not only a scintillating biography but also an absolutely hypnotic first hand education into the entire Alaskan crabbing industry. "TIME BANDIT" is the name of their 298-ton, 113-foot boat that has a "hold" capacity of 120,000 pounds for king crab and 175,000 pounds for opilio. By the time a potential reader finishes this book I predict you will have come to the same conclusion I have: that life on the deck of a Bering Sea crabbing boat being bounced around like a ping pong ball in a wind tunnel, with "Williwaw-Winds" that can reach 130 mph at their peak, with waves over 40 feet high, with temperatures in Alaska hitting as low as 80 below zero, is truly the "last-frontier" as far as employment! And due to the aforementioned work environment, potential employees are not exactly Ivy League button-down types. Johnathan says: "The crews who work best on deck are animals who should be dropped off at the sea buoys on the way to port; we could pick them up on the way out. They are only trouble on land and end up in fights and in jail. I want the animals. But I do not want to take care of them." The fear of death in this industry isn't really a fear, but an assumed statistic that has to be thought of as always happening to someone else. Because of this visceral "grim-reaper" of the sea that is always implicit but never acknowledged, there is an unwritten code between fishermen to respond even if not asked when a life or boat is in peril. "The killer is the sea." When the water temperature is around 36 degrees Fahrenheit Alaska Fish & Game issues a warning about Alaskan waters, describing what happens to a man who falls overboard: "The initial cold shock from falling into cold water provokes an immediate gasp reflex, up to 2-3 quarts of air-or water, if your head is submerged. If you inhale water, it is highly unlikely you will come to the surface unless you are wearing a lifejacket. This means you have to have your lifejacket on when you enter the water! The cold shock stage is characterized by hyperventilation and rapid heart rate, which often produce a panic feeling. This stage lasts 3-5 minutes. The initial shock can also provoke a heart attack, which will make self-rescue extremely difficult." "In the Bering Sea, you have to want to live more than the sea wants you to die, and strange as it seems NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE WITH THE SAME INTENSITY!" "In 2006 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing in general as the work with the highest fatality rate in America with 141.7 fatalities per 100,000, almost thirty times that of an average industrial worker. And the Bureau lists Alaskan waters and in particular the Bering Sea, which has claimed 2,066 lives since records were first kept, as far more dangerous still." As the reader gets deeper into t

I got this book and finished it in less than 2 days. This is the story about the Hillstrand brothers, their childhoods, and their occupations as captains of the Time Bandit Alaska crab fishing boat. I laughed, I cried, and was also on the edge of my seat as I read it. I also felt as though they were sitting right with me and they were telling me their incredible story as I read it. I highly recommend this book for those who are fans of the show Deadliest Catch or for those who are looking for a good book to read.

Look no further if you want to know more about what makes Bering Sea fishermen brave and dariing and even great. Andy and Johnathan had unusual, to say the least, upbringings; they have lived on the edge since they were toddlers. This is an inside view of their lives (and their families' lives) that the cable TV program, great as it is, can't show. This is a must read for fans of the show and for arm-chair adventurers everywhere.