North by Northwestern: A Seafaring Family on Deadly Alaskan Waters Hardcover – Bargain Price, March 30, 2010

I absolutely loved this book! I have read other books on this topic including fishing for crab and swordfish. The Discovery Channel hit the jackpot when they realized what a fascinating topic this would be to a lot of folks around the world. The Hansens bring back an almost-forgotten old-school mentality of love of hard work and respect for their family and co-workers. I especially loved the background and history of not only the sport but of the Hansen family. From the wooden, yes WOODEN, fishing vessels of the early 1900's to the tightly regulated crab fishing industry today, Sig Hansen and Mark Sundeen give a clear timeline of how this way of living has evolved through the years. The book even goes back to the days of the Vikings, touching on history of early discovery and the naming of parts of the Americas. Reading tales of Norwegian legends and learning about Karmoy and Ballard heroes, it gives you an excellent background of where the Hansen brothers have come from. I especially appreciated the explanation of fishing terms and processes demonstrated on these fishing vessels. I can see why Sig Hansen is a technical advisor for this series. The pictures are excellent - and you can see a little bit of each of Sig, Norman and Edgar in their father, Sverre. Speaking of Norman, it was so nice to learn a little about Norman and what makes him tick. As he is so elusive on the show, it is a rare sight to see or hear him speak to the camera. I always wondered what his job was on the boat, and it was so nice to finally hear about the "other brother that you never see". The Hansen family comes from a long line of respectable, hard-working and fun-loving individuals. It is evident why this boat and its crew are so successful. I work in an office with no windows, and I read this book on my lunch breaks - and, if even for a little while, I was able to escape to the shores of Karmoy, the streets of Ballard and the beauty and danger of the Bering Sea as told by Captain Sig. My coworkers' faces would light up when they saw what I was reading, and it would always turn into an excited discussion about the F/V Northwestern and its crew. I recommend this book to anyone who watches this series or just wants an excellent story about the history of this industry and the Hansen family. If Sig or the Hansens write another book, I will buy it.

great story!

I read both Time Bandit and North by Northwestern, books co-written by captains of crab fishing vessels featured on TV's Deadliest Catch.Time Bandit was published first and is basically a rambling adventure story. It jumps back and forth in time and between brothers telling the story. Andy's chapters are more philosophical and purposeful than Johnathan's, and also more reserved. The book begins and ends with a story of Johnathan Hillstrand in trouble while salmon fishing and this story is broken up by various tales, facts and details about the Hillstrand family and their jobs, personalities, families, and various adventures. I think the purpose of Johnathan's salmon fishing story was to provide a first-hand quick grab to bring in the reader and provide excitement and tie various pieces of the book together, but I don't think that gimmick totally succeeds here. When that story ends the book, the entire work still feels unfinished to me. However, Time Bandit is still a very interesting, fun, fast read.North by Northwestern came out a year later than the Time Bandit book, and in many ways seems to copy the Time Bandit. It follows a similar story structure, it uses photos in the same way, and provides similar information, albeit from a different perspective. The "grabber" in North by Northwestern is a story about Sig's father and is more dramatic than Johnathan's, although revealed in less of an in-your-face fashion. A few parts, such as a description of what crabs are and how they live and move around on the ocean floor, is so similar in both books that it seems almost plagiarized.I personally found North by Northwestern to be much better written than Time Bandit and a more satisfying story over all. Perhaps it succeeds because it is all in the voice of one person instead of two, but I also speculate that Mark Sundeen is a better writer than MacPherson or made a direct attempt to follow MacPherson's model and improve on it. North by Northwestern really seemed to have more of a story to tell, and provided a multi-generational seafaring family saga much more coherently and completely than is found in the somewhat jumbled feel of Time Bandit. Even the pictures in the book were better than Time Bandit's. The end of the book about marketing and branding was one of the weaker parts of the book and read a bit defensively or apologetically, but it did serve to complete the timeline.I think Time Bandit deserves the credit for doing it first and creating the template that North by Northwestern followed and improved upon. I related more to the Hansen clan than the Hillstrands on many levels, but both books are enjoyable and both families worthy of respect for their hard work. Time Bandit does read more like a pirate's work in typical Hillstrand fashion while North by Northwestern's Norwegian sensibilities are strong. I have some Norwegian ancestry and I came away from North by Northwestern with a better understanding and appreciation of certain family stories from that line of my family tree. The voice of each work is true to the captains. I read both through interlibrary loan and ended up deciding I wanted to purchase North by Northwestern for my collection.

The Hansen Clan exploded onto the scene as cult heroes of the current Reality TV craze. Sig Hansen is so Norwegian that he should probably be wearing a horned Viking helmet while sitting in the wheel room of the Northwestern piloting the boat through brutal Alaskan gales & commanding his crew with that steely blue-eyed stare.I expected this book to be akin to another episode of The Deadliest Catch but was delighted when it turned out to be more of a history of the Norwegian Fishermen both in the old country & then following their migration to the west coast of the United States. The emphasis is, of course, put on the Hansen family and the colorful characters that loaned their beefed-up manly genes to Sig, Edgar & Norman.The book itself is well written and reflects Sig's tight reigns on "everything Hansen". You can almost hear him bellied up to the bar spinning tales of kith & kin to his scribe. I listened to this book on audio & must applaud the reader for his ability to express the character of Sig throughout the reading.For anyone who has watched and enjoyed The Deadliest Catch I'd recommend this book as an adjunct to the series.

I always thought the Northwestern was the most interesting boat in the Alaskan Crab Fleet. Great read.

Regardless of whether you watch The Deadliest Catch on TV, this is an entertaining and informative read. This combines the story of one family and a whole community, coming to the US and making a life in a tough industry. Interwoven throughout is the account of a terrifying incident at sea, with a series of cliff-hangers, and lots of background about commercial fishing and the Hansens and other fishing families. What fans of the show may not realise is the contribution that Scandinavians have made in the Northwest US and how strong the links to Europe were - and remain. Great read, and written in such a style that you can almost hear Sig telling the story...

A fantastic and must read for anyone who watches the show 'Deadliest Catch'. Also a very informative read on the history of the fishermen's waterfront of Seattle, Wa., and the Scandinavian and European immigrants to the area. Very interesting info on the Bering Sea and the Alaskan areas as well as the Hansen family. I have special interest as I have been a commercial fisherman for 40 years on the west coast of British Columbia and had the privilege (as first mate) to fish (and relief operate) a 127 foot schooner. We trap fished for black cod (sablefish) with almost identical methods. I was told it was the last operating vessel on the BC coast without direct controls. It had an engine room telegraph (as in the Titanic days) and a voice tube for communication to the engine room. It also had a direct drive, air start engine, that had to be stopped and then restarted for reverse. A hats off to those that fish the Bering Sea. A special breed of people and a truly deadly livelihood!

Love the show love the books

Great read,interesting and would read more.....

From the Vikings to the Hansens. Fantastic book focussing on the history behind what we see on the screen.I was really impressed with how readable and interesting this book was. His fathers Saga kept me gripped and the story which weaves it's way through the whole book ensures you read to the end.