Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Andy Hillstrand (Author), Johnathan Hillstrand (Author), Malcolm MacPherson (Author), William Dufris (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2008

The Time Bandit is the fishing vessel that Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand use to hook the "deadliest catch," Alaskan king crabs and opilio crabs, in the Bering Sea, a dangerous and mercurial body of water that can steal years from a fisherman's life. The Hillstrand brothers, however, are the real "thieves." They take valuable crabs from the sea while facing its dangers head on. In pursuit of their daily catch, the brothers brave ice floes and heaving sixty-foot waves, gusting winds of eighty miles per hour, unwieldy and unpredictable half-ton steel crab traps, and an injury rate of almost 100 percent. There are fewer than 400 fishermen of this kind in the United States, and early death is a common fate. But the Hillstrand brothers are drawn to the drama and adventure of life on the high seas, as was their grandfather before them. They don't complain about the risks and dangers-this is their world.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Gripping . . . enjoyable reading.”—Roanoke Times

“You know that cool reality-TV show Deadliest Catch? . . . The boat captains featured on the series . . . continue to scare us in this behind-the-scenes book.”—Sacramento Bee

“This boys’ own adventure is delivered with the irresistible bluster of a fisherman raving to a rescuer about how he has just cheated death . . . again!”—Sydney Morning Herald

“Their first-person accounts matter-of-factly explain what it’s like to constantly face death on the Bering Sea and what it does to your life back on land.”—Rochester Democrat and Chronicle


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

About the Author

Andy Hillstrand shares duties with his brother, Johnathan, on board their family-operated vessel, the Time Bandit. Andy mans the boat during opilio season. During the off-season, he can be found on his Indiana ranch training horses. Johnathan Hillstrand shares duties with his brother, Andy, on board their family-operated vessel, the Time Bandit. Johnathan is the captain during king crab season. When he's not fighting for his life on the high seas, he enjoys a life on the edge that includes riding a Harley that is rigged to rocket to 120 miles per hour at the touch of a button. Malcolm MacPherson, a former correspondent for Time and Newsweek, has also worked on the staffs of New York Magazine and Premiere and has contributed stories and articles to the New York Times, Reader's Digest, and other publications. He is the author of a dozen books, including The Cowboy and His Elephant and Hocus Potus. William Dufris began his audio career doing radio plays, audiobooks, film/animation dubbing, and language tapes in London, where he lived for thirteen years. While there, he had the honor of sharing the microphone in a number of BBC Radio plays with Kathleen Turner, Sharon Gless, Stockard Channing, and Helena Bonham-Carter. These experiences led him to cofound two audio production companies: The Story Circle Ltd. and Mind's Eye Productions. He has also acted on stage and television in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. William is the original voice of Bob (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) in the popular children's show Bob the Builder for the United States and Canada (Series 1–9). He produces, directs, acts and engineers for his audio theatre company, Rocky Coast Radio Theatre. He has been nominated nine times as a finalist for the APA's prestigious Audie Award and has garnered twenty-one Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine, which also named him one of the Best Voices at the End of the Century, as well as one of the Best Voices of the Year in 2008 and 2009.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Tantor Media; Unabridged edition (May 19, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400107466
• ISBN-13: 978-1400107469
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,231,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific - I couldn't put it down!, April 12, 2008

By 

Deborah Wunsch "Music and book fanatic" (Milford, NH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs (Hardcover)

I got this book and finished it in less than 2 days. This is the story about the Hillstrand brothers, their childhoods, and their occupations as captains of the Time Bandit Alaska crab fishing boat. I laughed, I cried, and was also on the edge of my seat as I read it. I also felt as though they were sitting right with me and they were telling me their incredible story as I read it. I highly recommend this book for those who are fans of the show Deadliest Catch or for those who are looking for a good book to read.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RICK SHAQ GOLDSTEIN SAYS:"DO YOU STOP WHAT YOU LOVE TO STAY ALIVE? OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU?, April 14, 2008

By 

Rick Shaq Goldstein "*SHAQ*" (Danville, Ca, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs (Hardcover)

This is a true "HARROWING" spine-tingling story about Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand, two brothers who make their living as Alaskan Bering Sea crab fisherman. This captivating book is not only a scintillating biography but also an absolutely hypnotic first hand education into the entire Alaskan crabbing industry. "TIME BANDIT" is the name of their 298-ton, 113-foot boat that has a "hold" capacity of 120,000 pounds for king crab and 175,000 pounds for opilio. By the time a potential reader finishes this book I predict you will have come to the same conclusion I have: that life on the deck of a Bering Sea crabbing boat being bounced around like a ping pong ball in a wind tunnel, with "Williwaw-Winds" that can reach 130 mph at their peak, with waves over 40 feet high, with temperatures in Alaska hitting as low as 80 below zero, is truly the "last-frontier" as far as employment! And due to the aforementioned work environment, potential employees are not exactly Ivy League button-down types. Johnathan says: "The crews who work best on deck are animals who should be dropped off at the sea buoys on the way to port; we could pick them up on the way out. They are only trouble on land and end up in fights and in jail. I want the animals. But I do not want to take care of them."

The fear of death in this industry isn't really a fear, but an assumed statistic that has to be thought of as always happening to someone else. Because of this visceral "grim-reaper" of the sea that is always implicit but never acknowledged, there is an unwritten code between fishermen to respond even if not asked when a life or boat is in peril. "The killer is the sea." When the water temperature is around 36 degrees Fahrenheit Alaska Fish & Game issues a warning about Alaskan waters, describing what happens to a man who falls overboard:

"The initial cold shock from falling into cold water provokes an immediate gasp reflex, up to 2-3 quarts of air-or water, if your head is submerged. If you inhale water, it is highly unlikely you will come to the surface unless you are wearing a lifejacket. This means you have to have your lifejacket on when you enter the water! The cold shock stage is characterized by hyperventilation and rapid heart rate, which often produce a panic feeling. This stage lasts 3-5 minutes. The initial shock can also provoke a heart attack, which will make self-rescue extremely difficult."

"In the Bering Sea, you have to want to live more than the sea wants you to die, and strange as it seems NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE WITH THE SAME INTENSITY!" "In 2006 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing in general as the work with the highest fatality rate in America with 141.7 fatalities per 100,000, almost thirty times that of an average industrial worker. And the Bureau lists Alaskan waters and in particular the Bering Sea, which has claimed 2,066 lives since records were first kept, as far more dangerous still."

As the reader gets deeper into the story with Johnathan and Andy narrating, you can almost feel the cold mist on your face and you start saying these guys have to be crazy to do this for a living. Well, they are a "lot-crazy", but fishing is not only in their heart, but it is their entire salt-water soul. In addition to the non-stop action and the "READERS" non-stop fear of death for the real-life characters in this book, you will also receive an intricate non-stop education of this totally unique industry. Even in the midst of all this chaos, the writing style is absolutely seamless! This is truly a book that you won't be able to put down until you and "the boys" finish their story!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT BOOK ABOUT GREAT GUYS, April 8, 2008

By 

ATTICUS (NEW YORK, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs (Hardcover)

Look no further if you want to know more about what makes Bering Sea fishermen brave and dariing and even great. Andy and Johnathan had unusual, to say the least, upbringings; they have lived on the edge since they were toddlers. This is an inside view of their lives (and their families' lives) that the cable TV program, great as it is, can't show. This is a must read for fans of the show and for arm-chair adventurers everywhere.