Official Review: A Lifetime Of Fishing by Jack Walsh

[rssllue]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Lifetime Of Fishing" by Jack Walsh.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Reading about the life of Jack Walsh in his book, A Lifetime of Fishing, turned out to be much more than I originally thought it would be when I first chose it for review. I expected a story that might at times become as dry as an overcooked yellowfin that might have come from the author’s own catch. I hoped that it would overall be interesting enough that I could recommend it to all who read this review. I can heartily say that my expectation never occurred and that my hope was much more than realized in this very entertaining and thoroughly engaging story of a man’s relationship with the sea.

The beginning of the tale of Mr. Walsh’s life sees him as a young boy who spends as much of his days as he can down by the water interacting with the men who make their living from the sea. He is even able to somehow finagle himself onto a fishing boat at the tender age of only 6 years old! As you can imagine, this causes quite the uproar on shore when he is later nowhere to be found by his grandmother at the harbor. The call of the sea has just begun for young Jack.

As an older boy, Jack really enjoys his time fishing for recreation wherever and whenever he can. This is a trait that will follow him for most of the rest of his life. As he grows older, he becomes a commercial fisherman and eventually gets his own boat and subsequently starts his own fishing business. He spends a good portion of his life doing this via various methods of hauling in many varieties of fish and crustaceans. Jack has many different partnerships through these times that both prosper and fall on hard times. Through it all, Jack and the sea always seem to keep their relationship strong and ongoing.

Mr. Walsh also dabbles in other business ventures throughout the span covered in the book. He takes on jobs as a consultant for various companies because of his expertise in the conditions of the sea and the marine life within it. He often gives his thoughts and ideas for better techniques that can improve production and safety in the industry. He also does his best to share well thought out and informed conservation methods to help make man’s relationship with the sea as mutually beneficial as possible. To top it off, Jack spends a good portion of years in the sea diamond mining industry. As he says himself, he truly has been “a Jack of all trades” throughout his very interesting life.

This is obviously a nonfiction book, but it reads just like an adventure story. (Like his being involved in business with the government of Liberia in the 1980s right as a coup was taking place!) There are no dull moments throughout Jack’s recollection of this part of his life. I truly enjoyed how he gave both his high and low points without sugarcoating any of his experiences. It made for an extremely easy and flowing read that kept me in the middle of the happenings with Jack and his companions.

Overall, I rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars. A few swear words sprinkled throughout are the only negative things that I can say about this book at all. Other than that, it is just a solid story that most anybody would enjoy, especially those who like reading sporting or adventure stories. I highly recommend this book and commend Mr. Walsh for penning such a great story.

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A Lifetime Of Fishing
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Like rssllue's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Lincoln]

Thanks for the review. The book sounds good and you make it sound like something worth reading!

[rssllue]

Thank you very much. It is indeed worth the read!

[mewsmash]

This man seems like he has quite the interesting life! I might just have to pick this book up.

[rssllue]

No doubt. Let me know what you think of it if you do.

[Elaine5]

It sounds wonderful! My husband loves to fish. I will recommend this book ... but I will read it first! Great job on the review. It's always nice when a book exceeds your expectations.

[rssllue]

He should definitely love it then.

Be sure to let us know what you both think of it!

[bookowlie]

Your review truly sparkles as your love of the book really shines through! I like how you described the book as being like an adventure story even though it's non-fiction. You made me consider getting the book based on your glowing review. Nice job.

[rssllue]

Thank you very much, bookowlie!

[bookowlie]

It's funny that you initally thought the book would be a dry read. I had considering selecting this book recently and didn't for the same reason. Glad to hear we were wrong.

[Jennifer Allsbrook]

Nice review. This story sounds exciting. For a mountain girl, the experiences of being on the sea are foreign but intriguing. The one and only time I ventured seaward was on a whale watching trip off of Newport Beach, CA. It was an amazing experience!

[rssllue]

It's funny that you initally thought the book would be a dry read. I had considering selecting this book recently and didn't for the same reason. Glad to hear we were wrong.

Me too!

Nice review. This story sounds exciting. For a mountain girl, the experiences of being on the sea are foreign but intriguing. The one and only time I ventured seaward was on a whale watching trip off of Newport Beach, CA. It was an amazing experience!

Thank you!

That sounds like a great trip!

[Rachaelamb1]

It takes a lot of talent for an author to make a nonfiction book as full of adventure as a fiction!

[rssllue]

Totally agreed!

[Gravy]

I definitely need to look into this one!