Customer Reviews

Hatteras Blues: A Story from the Edge of America

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been visiting the North Carolina outer banks since 1970. I did not think anyone had as much love or reverence of this special place as I, but I was wrong. Tom Carlson in Hatteras Blues has established himself as a true devotee of these narrow islands off the Carolina coast. He captures the lure of isolated and wind-worn beaches and ever-changing off shore waters where fishermen (and women) from the smallest North Carolina towns to the largest international cities have searched for prize bill fish, bull drum, cobia and a host of other species for several decades. The reader is absorbed in the story of the Fosters and others who fought the harshness of life on the outer banks to create a thriving charter fishing industry that today is being challenged by corporations and those uncaring of the outerbanks special culture. Carlson is a waterman by birth and a "Banker" by choice. Hatteras Blues is a heartfelt story of great loss, love, spirit, transformation and hope set in one of the most magical places on planet Earth. Rates with Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea for bringing to life the conflicts, the turmoil and the serenity of what it means to be a part of the sea and the coast. Highly recommended.

HATTERAS BLUES: A STORY FROM THE EDGE OF AMERICA is part biography and part regional history: it uses the experiences of one long-time fisherman on North Carolina's outer banks to reveal the issues of a fading industry and the development of Hatteras Village in the heart of Hurricane Alley. Tom Carlson's involvement with his subject leads him to the heart of a family and a town's struggles and faith in a warm first-person survey which at times reads with the quiet drama of fiction.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great book. I love to hear the stories of the people in this book, of course the fishing is always good. The weather and the constant movement of the cape was and is totally intriguing.

Great book if you are a surf or deep sea fisherman. This book gives a terrific history of Hatteras Island and what is happening to a way of life.

I picked this book up because I love fishing and I love the outer banks.

There isn't much in the way of fishing tips and barely any technical jargon. This is definitely not a "how to" book.

But in the author's story and in the stories of the charter boat captains and crews that he meets throughout the course of the book there are a lot of enaging stories told in this book. There is a lot of sadness in some of the tales of life and death, but the book has a bittersweet quality to it, mainly due to the warmth, affection and (in some cases) love that the author has for his subjects.

A compelling storyline full of facinating bits and pieces about North Carolina's coastal heritage. It's a must read for NC fishermen.

This is a very well researched book about the history of charter fishing off Hatteras Island. The author combines archive research with annecdotes collected from his repeated trips to the island. The reader also has a feeling of sadness as the author's wife slowly succumbs to MS while he is doing his research.

Well worth the time to read.

I love Hatteras-been going there for years and this is the wonderfull story of the people of Hatteras and their way of life. If you like fishing stories, if you like reading about the history of a unique fishing village and it's people, or if you just want to read a great story about the life of interesting people I recommend this book. Full of heart and soul-a great read. If you love Hatteras you will love this book!!!

My husband says this book is excellent!!!!! and that he wouldn't have minded living back in the 1940's.