All Fishermen Are Liars: True Tales from the Dry Dock Bar

From Publishers Weekly
The genesis of this lively collection of "absolutely true sea stories" is Greenlaw's (Lobster Chronicles) remembrance of an afternoon and evening spent with her crusty old friend Alden in a bar in Portland, Maine, trading tales about fishing and adventures at sea. Greenlaw, who makes her living as a commercial fisher, includes among the stories an account of how she nearly lost a boatload of 500 lobster traps the day she ignored the weatherman's storm warnings; the saga of being adrift at sea on a disabled fishing boat with a captain who was too cheap to pay for a tow; and a yarn about her chance meeting with a legendary dope-smuggling captain on the lam in the Caribbean. She also tells other people's stories, such as one about a fisherman who was forced to abandon his ship and managed to survive a night in the water during a hurricane. Alden chimes in with memories of the worst storm of his 40 years of commercial fishing. Two barflies join them. One tells of the young captain of a sightseeing vessel who almost lost the boat and 150 passengers during a storm, and the other contributes a whopper about landing a 200-pound tuna using rock-and-roll music as the lure. The stories are separated by short anecdotes about fishermen; Greenlaw calls these "bar snacks." At the end of the night, a woman of dubious character known as "the Madam" joins the group and declares, "All fishermen are liars." Greenlaw leaves it up to the reader to decide how much is truth and how much is exaggeration. Either way, the stories are all very entertaining. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


From AudioFile
Whether or not they're liars, all fishermen do tell stories. In her third memoir, this real-life fisherman weaves dozens of tales into a narrative held together by an afternoon in a waterfront bar. The author reads her own work in much the same tone that she originally told her stories in that bar, and relates the experiences of other fishermen in similar spirit. Though not a trained performer, Greenlaw brings an authenticity and sincerity to her work that no outsider could convey. Her understated humor and open self-deprecation inspire laughter and reflection, often simultaneously. Although all these stories relate to fishing or the sea, their telling calls to mind parallel events in our own lives. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Greenlaw's third offering is once again ocean-bound. Although it may not be as gripping as The Hungry Ocean (1999), or depict a lifestyle change like The Lobster Chronicles (2002), it is another entertaining excursion into a world few of us will ever know. It begins with a lunch date with her best friend and mentor, a man Greenlaw hopes to persuade to retire, that evolves into a day-long drinking and storytelling event. There is much variety in the tales told: some are funny, some tragic, and some hair-raising, and the storytellers are also diverse, as others in the bar join in. Interspersed between the tales tall and otherwise are bits of sea lore--labeled as "bar snacks"--that cover such subjects as the essentials of hiring a crew and frequent excuses for not catching any fish. A light and entertaining addition to Greenlaw's list and to salty sea stories in general. Danise Hoover
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


The New York Times Book Review
"Greenlaw is a terrific spinner of sea stories."


The Miami Herald
"All fishermen may be liars, but few of them can spin a tale the way Greenlaw does."


OregonLive.com
"Boisterous nostalgia and Atlantic Ocean enlightenment . . . Greenlaw . . . makes an honorary crew member out of anyone who cracks open her book."


Bookreporter.com
" . . . Greenlaw's love for fishing and the sea invigorates her prose. Her beautifully compelling description of life at sea is . . . irresistible . . ."


The Seattle Times
"[Greenlaw] is a rare and welcome voice in the maritime world."


Rocky Mountain News
". . . [Greenlaw's] self-effacing honesty, if you can believe a fisherman, is endearing, amusing, excruciating and awe-inspiring."


Book Description
A riveting and uproarious collection of true tales of fishing and adventure at sea by Linda Greenlaw -- author of the New York Times bestsellers The Lobster Chronicles and The Hungry Ocean. When New York Times bestselling author Linda Greenlaw goes fishing, she catches us all -- hook, line, and sinker. Just before Christmas, Linda meets up with her best friend and fellow fisherman Alden Leeman for lunch and a drink at the Dry Dock, a well-worn watering hole in Portland, Maine. Alden, the captain of Linda's first fishing expedition, has seen his share of mishaps and adventures at sea. When Linda shares memories of navigating her ship through one of the craziest storms she's ever seen, Alden quickly follows up with his own tales. Then other fishermen, who are sitting on the periphery attentively listening, decide to weigh in with yarns of their own. All Fishermen Are Liars brims with true stories of the most eccentric crew member, the funniest episode, the biggest fish, and the wildest night at sea. Denizens of the Dry Dock drift in and out as the bar begins to swell with rounds of drinks and tales that increase in drama. Here are some of the greatest fishing stories ever -- all relayed by Linda Greenlaw in her inimitable style. All Fishermen Are Liars will give readers what they have come to love and expect from Linda Greenlaw -- luminous descriptions and edge-of-the-seat thrills. It's the perfect book for anyone who loves fishing and the sea.


Download Description
In ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS, Linda meets up with her best friend and fellow fisherman Alden Leeman for lunch and a drink at the Drydock in Portland just before Christmas. The surly captain of her first fishing expedition, Alden has seen his share of mishaps and adventures while at sea. When Linda shares memories of navigating her ship through one of the worst storms she's ever seen, Alden quickly follows up with his own tale of terror and survival while other fishermen sit on the periphery attentively listening before jumping in with stories of their own. The stories will focus on such things as the most eccentric crew member, the funniest episode, the biggest fish, and the wildest story. The characters will drift in and out with the rounds of drinks with tales of their own dramatic moments, increasing in pitch and decreasing in believeability as alcohol is consumed. ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS are brand new stories of adventure, but it's also what readers have come to love and expect from Greenlaw —luminous descriptions and edge-of-the seat excitement.


About the Author
Linda Greenlaw has been a deep-sea fisherman for 18 years, becoming the first and only female swordfish captain in the Grand Banks Fleet. She was raised in Maine and graduated from Colby College. Greenlaw now lives on Isle au Haut, Maine, where she captains a lobster boat. The New England Booksellers Association selected Linda as the winner of the 2004 New England Book Award. The purpose of the award is to honor an author whose body of work stands as a contribution to New England.


Excerpted from All Fishermen Are Liars by Linda Greenlaw. Copyright © 2004. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"'Oh big deal. Twelve hours? Try that routine for three days. Your boat is like the Queen Elizabeth compared to what I used to put to sea in. You've been spoiled. Why, I remember a time when . . . ' And in the truest one-upmanship fashion, my friend painted a picture that made my horror story look like a kid's cartoon. I could feel the ladies who were playing bridge stop their game and perch on the edge of their chairs behind me. The Island Boys had spun around on their bar stools and were leaning toward our table. The suit-and-ties ordered more coffee, and the islanders knew there would be later ferries toward home. Everyone loves a sea story. No one tells one quite like Alden."


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Boisterous nostalgia and Atlantic Ocean enlightenment . . . Greenlaw . . . makes an honorary crew member out of anyone who cracks open her book.Read all 9 "From The Critics" >


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