book data
64 ratings, 4.17 average rating, 13 reviews
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published
March 21st 1994
by Back Bay Books
binding
Paperback, 352 pages
literary awards
Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction (1977)
isbn
0316923354
(isbn13: 9780316923354)
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 100)
Read in August, 2008
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 pardo...more
If you'll pardo...more
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Read in September, 2008
I've been reading since July, and I'm still sad that this book is already over. Every time I dipped in, it was like drifting into a gentler world. I suspect the author romanticizes his subject matter, and his limited environmental concerns seem dated, but the Bay he describes is so rich and soothing that I might do the unthinkable and actually PURCHASE this book. I know!
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Read in February, 1995
recommends it for:
Nature lovers of the Mid-East US Seaboard
This book covers four seasons of the blue crab on the Chesapeake Bay; reading it will give one a wider knowledge of the celebrated crustaceans but also a much bigger appreciation for those who work and live on the bay. Makes a great gift for anyone looking for a reason to fall in love with the Chesapeake.
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Read in March, 2001
As a Marylander, I felt obliged to read about the state's delicacy since I can't be bothered to eat them. I remember only one thing from this book: A strong, sustained wind in November/December each year signifies the beginning of winter on the Chesapeake, instead of a calendar date.
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This book is a beautifully written introduction to _Calinectes sapidus_ (a.k.a. the blue crab) and the people who trawl the Chesapeake Bay to acquire them. It's definitely on my Top 10 Desert Island book list, and I hope you'll read it and add it to yours.
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Read in January, 1976
recommends it for:
Chicken neckers
A lovely book -- maybe even a love letter to a vanishing way of life -- about the blue crab, its Chesapeake Bay home and the folks who separate the two. Highly readable and absorbing, the only thing that would improve it would be recipes.
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Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
crab lovers
I read this after reading "Watermen." I like "Watermen" better even though "Beautiful Swimmers" won some awards. It gives a more in depth look into the Blue Crab itself. It is a 'calm' book.
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Read in January, 1982
This book was a pure delight from start to finish. I read this book years ago, lost my copy, and just picked up a fresh copy.
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Recommended by Jim Stone to Jennifer Pritchard about blue crab fisherman in the Maryland area.
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fun for people like me who grew up on the chesapeake and love blue crabs
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