Synopses & Reviews
On February 3, 1983, the men aboard andlt;iandgt;Americusandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;Altair,andlt;/iandgt; two state-of-the-art crabbing vessels, docked in their home port of Anacortes, Washington, prepared to begin a grueling three-month season fishing in the notorious Bering Sea. Eleven days later, on Valentine's Day, the overturned hull of the andlt;Iandgt;Americusandlt;/Iandgt; was found drifting in calm seas, with no record of even a single distress call or trace of its seven-man crew. The andlt;Iandgt;Altairandlt;/Iandgt; vanished altogether. Despite the desperate search that followed, no evidence of the vessel or its crew would ever be found. Fourteen men were lost. And the tragedy would mark the worst disaster in the history of U.S. commercial fishing. andlt;BRandgt; With painstaking research and spellbinding prose, acclaimed journalist Patrick Dillon brings to life the men who were lost, the dangers that commercial fishermen face, the haunting memories of the families left behind...and reconstructs the intense investigation that ensued, which for the first time exposed the dangers of an industry that would never again be the same.
Review
Sudip Bose andlt;Iandgt;The Washington Post Book Worldandlt;/Iandgt; A meticulously detailed narrative, pieced together with the deft touch of a suspense writer -- a fine accomplishment.
Review
Susan Salter Reynolds andlt;iandgt;Los Angeles Times Book Reviewandlt;/iandgt; A gripping account...andlt;Iandgt;Lost At Seaandlt;/Iandgt; is a better book than Sebastian Junger's andlt;Iandgt;The Perfect Storm,andlt;/Iandgt; even more thrilling, more mysterious.
Review
Rinker Buck andlt;Iandgt;USA Todayandlt;/Iandgt; Dillon meticulously recreates the events leading up to the 1983 capsizing of the andlt;Iandgt;Americusandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Altairandlt;/Iandgt;...[and] artfully chronicles the lives of the lost fishermen and their families.
Review
Tom Walker andlt;Iandgt;The Denver Postandlt;/Iandgt; Patrick Dillon's deftly written andlt;Iandgt;Lost at Seaandlt;/Iandgt; is more than just another man-vs.-the-sea story. It's an engrossing, evenhanded look at how greed, negligence, naivete and downright stupidity can lead to tragedy when man and nature collide.
Synopsis
On February 3, 1983, the men aboard Americus and Altair, two state-of-the-art crabbing vessels, docked in their home port of Anacortes, Washington, prepared to begin a grueling three-month season fishing in the notorious Bering Sea. Eleven days later, on Valentine's Day, the overturned hull of the Americus was found drifting in calm seas, with no record of even a single distress call or trace of its seven-man crew. The Altair vanished altogether. Despite the desperate search that followed, no evidence of the vessel or its crew would ever be found. Fourteen men were lost. And the tragedy would mark the worst disaster in the history of U.S. commercial fishing.
With painstaking research and spellbinding prose, acclaimed journalist Patrick Dillon brings to life the men who were lost, the dangers that commercial fishermen face, the haunting memories of the families left behind...and reconstructs the intense investigation that ensued, which for the first time exposed the dangers of an industry that would never again be the same.
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Patrick Dillonandlt;/bandgt; is the Adventure and Sailing Events Programming Director at QuokkaSports, Digital Sports Entertainment. He has won numerous awards, including a share of the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. His columns and essays have appeared in many publications throughout the nation, including the andlt;Iandgt;Los Angeles Times,andlt;/Iandgt; the andlt;Iandgt;Chicago Tribune,andlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Fast Company.andlt;/Iandgt;