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20th out of 54 books
—
119 voters
Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay
William Warner exhibits his skill as a naturalist and as a writer in this Pulitzer Prize-winning study of the pugnacious Atlantic blue crab and of its Chesapeake Bay territory. Penguin Nature Library.
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
March 21st 1994
by Back Bay Books
(first published 1976)
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I had long taken the Chesapeake Bay for granted until my grandparents began talking in earnest about selling their boat. On a trip down there this summer, they recommended this book as a way of coming closer to the bay. As the title indicates, Beautiful Swimmers: Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay sets forth a rich and nuanced view of the Chesapeake crabbing trade, from the little beasties themselves to the government policies (as of 1976) that affect the trade.
If you'll pardon the cliche,...more
If you'll pardon the cliche,...more
This book of non-Fiction is written with such care of the subject, and the grace of the language and discriptions of everything from the beautiful swimmers (chesapeake blue crabs) themselves, to the history of the Chesapeake bay, the crab-pot watermen to the pickers and packers. Warner truly takes the reader into the world of watermen, and branches out to the world around them with a style that kept me reading, not wanting to put the book down. Every chapter completed, I thought I had learned al...more
William Warner’s Beautiful Swimmers is a classic piece of narrative non-fiction, and a fine introduction to the blue crabs of Chesapeake Bay and the working lives of the “watermen” who pursue them. It bears comparison to Rachel Carson’s The Edge of the Sea (for its attention to natural history, and its deft integration of the latest scientific data), to Henry Beston’s The Outermost House (for its portrait of a beautiful, isolated coastline), and to Michael Ruhlman’s Wooden Boats (for its sympath...more
Both my parents loooove this book so I decided to give it a try. In the tradition of John McPhee (who I myself am crazy about) Warner enlightens the reader on a subject that few people think of regularly, but once you read about it you notice it everywhere. I finally looked at the crab in the grocery store and tried to figure out where it came from; and I also can't blame them for charging so much for it (especially so far away, here in Chicago!) Since it was written in the mid-70's, I was const...more
I love the eastern shore of Virginia and Maryland and have gone to visit almost every summer with my family since I was 9 years old. It was really interesting to read about the watermen, crabs, and the Chesapeake Bay. (I love crab cakes and soft shell crabs and all things crab.)
This is definitely a book centered on the culture of men, with the women pretty much relegated to the description of the crab picking houses. Maybe that's why I found it a bit off-putting. But I learned a great deal abou...more
This is definitely a book centered on the culture of men, with the women pretty much relegated to the description of the crab picking houses. Maybe that's why I found it a bit off-putting. But I learned a great deal abou...more
My environmental science professor and now academic adviser recommended this book to me awhile ago, and I probably should have read it right then. I participated in a semester at school, in which we got to travel for one week to the Chesapeake Bay area, go to several places discussed in the book, meet the watermen, and wrestle with the crabs. So while reading it, I was enjoyed reflecting on all I had seen, over 30 years after the book was written. Warner expertly weaved rich narration with the d...more
William Warner's Beautiful Swimmers is justly regarded as a classic of Chesapeake Bay literature. Writing in the year of the nation's bicentennial, Warner paid tribute to the odd and fragile beauty of the Atlantic blue crab that is -- or used to be -- found in such abundance throughout the Chesapeake. Indeed, Warner draws the title of his book from the scientific name of the crab, Callinectes sapidus; Callinectes translates from the Greek as "beautiful swimmer." (Sapidus translates as "savory,"...more
Will be interesting to compare eastern crab men vs. (Anacortes) western crab men. The two different societies are very different. Western crab men travel from WA & OR coasts to the Berring Sea, while eastern crab men remained closer to home. All the same both groups have out-fished their fishing areas. Economy of both areas is turning to tourism.
This book was fascinating and once I started it was hard to put down. If you love the water, the East Coast, and all that lives in the ocean, estuaries, Chesapeake Bay, you will enjoy this book. Werner takes us into the location and you see what he is describing. I learned a lot from reading, and also so loved the information on blue crabs as have found them fascinating for years. If you love sea life, respect those who give us splendor to eat, you will enjoy this book.
This was my second reading of the book.....it's a little dry, but it gives a nice perspective of the life of watermen on the Eastern Shore. I got more out of it this time because I have been to Crisfield (a few times) and Smith Island, I have received samples from some of these watermen in the past, and I have been working on diseases in the blue crab.....
Had to read this for school. Guess what? I don't give a fuck about crabs! Or the people that catch them! Woah!
Also, if I hear one more person say "I'm a vegetarian, but I eat fish sometimes," I will destroy them thanks to this book. The seafood business is fucked up. Surprise? Nah.
Yeah, fuck this book.
Also, if I hear one more person say "I'm a vegetarian, but I eat fish sometimes," I will destroy them thanks to this book. The seafood business is fucked up. Surprise? Nah.
Yeah, fuck this book.
pleasant book. Great to read while camping or on the beach. Lots of information about the different ways crabs are caught. John McPhee reportage - NOT Annie Dillard nature-as-metaphor-for-something-else writing.
2 things I learned.
The retail markup on crabs is absurb; the crabmen work very hard for not much money - even in 1973 dollars.
hard shell crabs and soft shell crabs are the same species, though I never did learn what was so special about soft shell crabs.
2 things I learned.
The retail markup on crabs is absurb; the crabmen work very hard for not much money - even in 1973 dollars.
hard shell crabs and soft shell crabs are the same species, though I never did learn what was so special about soft shell crabs.
Possibly more than you might want to know about the human and water-bound denizens of the Chesapeake Bay, yet a pleasant read that almost lets you taste the salt in the air and feel the wind come up from the Southwest. The book, first published in 1976 with an apparent update in 1994, feels a bit dated in some chapters.
Beautiful Swimmers is a smartly written examination of the blue crab, and the people who earn a living catching it in Maryland and Virginia. Warner is successful in creating a deep apprectiation for the blue crab and the importance of preserving the Chesapeake bay habitat. Drawings in the book are very helpful and educational, and do well to explain things in the book. But the best parts of the book are Warner's interactions with the people (especially Lester Lee and the Chicken Neckers.)With de...more
How can a book about the Blue Crab be so interesting!! Once you've crabbed for the little fellows and observed the life cycle, you are hooked even more. This Pulitzer prize winning book will expand your interests and knowledge base. I have a soft heart for our Watermen.
I would give this book more stars if I could, I just want to go out now and live on the Chesapeake with Emily and run a crab trotline. It's just a wonderfully written, evocative, heartfelt look at a moment in time on the bay, looking at its ecology, history, culture and the people who live there. It's many years old, but still really a wonderful book. I read it straight through over about three days, couldn't put it down.
Beautifully written profile of the Chesapeake Bay crab fishery in the 1970s. It's an engaging read; the only reason it took me so long to finish is because I only picked it up on trips to the Bay or the beach. I loved the mix of crab biology and the human angle. I'd be very interested to read about the current state of the communities Warner visited (the 1994 edition does have an afterword, but it's time for another update). I was excited to read about my own hometown of Hampton around the time...more
I've read this book three times has I was doing research for my novel Hayleah's Comet. This is one of those books that can take you way to the chesapeake bay no matter were you are. I fell in love with the bay after reading this book.
Not a bad book if you're from somewhere else, but a bit slow if you're from the area and familiar with the topic. Good introduction for newbies to the bay and it's ecology, people, habits, many of which are changing fast!
One of my favorite books of all time. I later went to most of the small towns and places he mentions in the book. I felt like I had already been there. Probably the best non-fiction book I have ever read.
Mar 10, 2013
Bill Leitzinger
added it
Fabulous book. Since I first read it in the early 1980's, much of what the author writes about is gone. I read it again recently, and it's sad how much the Chesapeake Bay has declined over the last 30 years.
A classic that explains the complex life history of the Calinectes sapidus told in a very readable fashion. You will never look at a blue crab, or commercial crabbers the same way.
Having spent my whole life on fresh water in Minnesota this book helped me understand more about salt (brackish) water and life on the bay.
You feel like you are there, on the Chesapeake. You see all the complexities of nature, how interconnected nature is with itself, how watermen depend on nature and have adapted to it. You learn about the history of how commerce developed on the Chesapeake, and how watermen adjust to the seasons. The author *really* knows his subject, and by the end you feel like you know the Chesapeake and the blue crab as well as anyone. Now I know all the local lingo. This book makes a great companion to Miche...more
Jul 04, 2011
Ella
is currently reading it
Just started it. Sent to me by a family friend in response to me sending him The Secret Life of Lobsters.
I read this for school and loved it. I would recommend this book to anyone interested.
History,US history,Geography,Virginia,Pulitzer Prize
More than you ever wanted to know about blue crabs.
excellent information on the Chesapeake Bay
Don't lend it out. You'll never get it back!
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