Giving the Finger: Risking It All To Fish The World's Deadliest Sea - Hardcover

Campbell, Scott M.; Ruland, Jim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762791314 ISBN 13: 9780762791316

Publisher: Lyons Press, 2014

Synopsis

Part documentary, part reality-television, the story of the Deadliest Catch’s Alaskan crab fishermen risking their lives in the Bering Sea to make a buck and feed their families has captivated the world. Giving the Finger follows the life of the spirited young captain who has emerged as one of the most talked-about figures on the show, Scott Campbell Jr., who leads the crew of the Seabrooke. As this book--a prequel to Junior’s ascent to fame--shows, the trials of crabbing are not limited to living at sea and working the most dangerous job on the planet, but carry over to family and friends, and are usually stormier than the Bering. Junior began his life as a fisherman in the shadow of his father, Scott Campbell Sr., and has struggled consistently to gain his own reputation as a captain. Arguably, one of the best fishermen working the waters today, Campbell Jr. has certainly done that, but not without sacrifice, of all sorts. Campbell has divorced and re-married the same woman three times, endured handicapping injuries and lost crew members to the icy waters of the north. Giving the Finger gives a first person account of these losses and the everyday fight for life and love, and shows that by hard work and perseverance, even a kid from Walla Walla, Washington, can become a star.

About this title

About the Author

Captain Scott Campbell, a.k.a. Junior, was just 26 when he captained his first boat, he's been at the helm of the Seabrooke for more than ten years, turning the vessel into one of the top producers in the fleet. Living and working by his motto of "never be satisfied," Junior is always looking for innovative ways to catch crab.
Writer Jim Ruland is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served as a Boatswain’s Mate and traveled all over the Western Pacific. He has won numerous awards, including a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, and his story "Homeward Bound" was the winner of the Reader’s Digest 2012 Life Story contest.

Reviews

Campbell, famous for his role in Deadliest Catch, will likely surprise his fans with this thoughtful and nuanced look at the hard reality of an Alaskan fisherman, including when he almost lost a finger. With writer Ruland he documents the fishing life he was born into. Campbell pulls no punches as he decries his school difficulties and late diagnosis of dyslexia, his frustration with having to hold together the small family farm in Washington while his father was away working in Alaska, and the struggle to find a place for himself amid relentless hazing by his father’s crew. The overwhelming casualty in all this was his relationship with his high-school sweetheart and wife, Lisa. Their personal travails remove any romance from the fishing life, and Campbell makes clear all that he has missed, such as the births of his daughters and family birthdays, adding up to years of disappointments that resulted in devastating marital strife. Campbell does provide expected blow-by-blow accounts of his fishing exploits, but this autobiography packs a far more serious and emotional punch. --Colleen Mondor

Edition details

• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0762791314
• ISBN 13: 9780762791316
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264