Customer Reviews

Iron Jaw: A Skipper Tells His Story, Charles N. Bamforth 1895-1975

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As the Skipper's granddaughter, I dutifully picked up this book... and then found myself turning pages late into the night!

Throughout the book, Captain Bamforth's voice comes through as authentically human and intensely engaged in the world around him, revealing an honest naivete, an unflappable work ethic, a remarkable sense of satisfaction in the rich details of his travels, and the challenges that his chosen life at sea imposed on his family and home life.

Some have said that my grandfather's stories are the stuff of legend. Keeping his crew alive for six days after his ship was torpedoed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean certainly falls in that category. At the same time, I think what's fascinating is the day-to-day perseverance of a very ordinary man, grappling with and embracing his understanding of right and wrong, of loyalty and betrayal, of life and peril in the 20th century. It is this testament of a hard-working man that, through its sincerity, becomes extraordinary and perhaps legendary.

An enjoyable and informative book. The narrative gives insight into the many aspects of being a sea captain far beyond the mere steering of a ship.

"Iron Jay" is classic American stuff; a great reading experience and absolutely absorbing from a social/historical perspective. Truly a working man's autobiography, the story sustains a tension that makes it intriguingly essential reading. Captain Bamforth's spirit is extraordinary -- chaotic and poetically tender in one quick flash. At one point you're in love with the man, idealist and poet; the next moment he looms up at you in patriarchal horror.

I wish everyone would get their own copy. I gave up waiting for those who borrowed mine to part with it so I bought a second copy that I will NOT loan out. It is a must for my library of favorites.

Suzanne Seller