Harpoon Venture (Wilder Places) [Paperback]

Gavin Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wilder Places | Publication Date: July 1, 1996

Harpoon Venture is the thrilling story of Gavin Maxwell's four years hunting the basking shark. When Maxwell, best known for Ring of Bright Water, acquired a small island off Scotland after World War Two, he decided to hunt the thirty-foot leviathan of the northern waters for commercial purposes. He confronts danger and difficulties of a magnitude to make this a tale of sea chase with very few peers among books of maritime adventure.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Here are the strange facts of shark life...the men and the boats and the excitement and the disapointmnts in the working life."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Harpoon Venture is the thrilling story of Gavin Maxwell's four years hunting the basking shark. When Maxwell, best known for Ring of Bright Water, acquired a small island off Scotland after World War Two, he decided to hunt the thirty-foot leviathan of the northern waters for commercial purposes. He confronts danger and difficulties of a magnitude to make this a tale of sea chase with very few peers among books of maritime adventure. (5 1/2 X 8 1/4, 328 pages, b&w photos, diagrams)

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1 edition (July 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558214364
• ISBN-13: 978-1558214361
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,131,141 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nothing is ever lost, June 29, 2000

By 

Ian Peters (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harpoon Venture (Wilder Places) (Paperback)

Maxwell's attempts to set up a Basking shark fishery based on what was then his island, Soay. The reader does not need to venture out into a small boat off the coast of Skye to get a feel for this experience. The writing lacks a little of the delicate wistfulness of the 'otter' books yet there is no doubting his style and beautifully descriptive prose. Being born into nobility was no guarantee of a successful life and it shows great tribute to the man that he was willing to get his hands dirty in this way. A lot of useful research on Basking sharks came from this venture and provides a rare window into an age that is past.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving story of fishing in the 1940's off the Scottish coast, September 20, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Denver, Colorado, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harpoon Venture (Wilder Places) (Paperback)

Gavin Maxwell writes movingly of his attempt to start a shark-fishing business off the coast of Scotland in the post-war 1940's. He mixes great descriptions of people and place with the honest account of a failed business enterprise. Maxwell is excellent at making a good story from his life experiences. An interesting read even if you don't like shark-fishing!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars She feels it!, July 28, 2005

By 

JC (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harpoon Venture (Paperback)

This book is rough going. Maxwell is a talented writer, but the story tends to drag periodically throughout the work. However, this IS the story of a failed business enterprise, so one cannot expect an inspiring tale. It is filled with frustration, dashed hopes, and melancholy.

Despite this grim description, I do believe that this is worth your time if you are interested in the basking shark, or simply a story set a maritime setting. I have wanted to visit the Scottish Isles since reading this book. And Maxwell's descriptions of his companions make up for the generally somber tone.

This was a pleasure to read.

P.S. the title of this critique comes from the book.