Giving the Finger: Risking It All To Fish The World's Deadliest Sea

by Scott Campbell Jr., Jim Ruland

Part documentary, part reality-television, the story of the Deadliest Catch’s Alaskan crab fishermen risking their lives in the Bering Sea to make a buck and feed their families has captivated the world. Giving the Finger follows the life of the spirited young captain who has emerged as one of the most talked-about figures on the show, Scott Campbell Jr., who leads the crew of the Seabrooke. As this book--a prequel to Junior’s ascent to fame--shows, the trials of crabbing are not limited to living at sea and working the most dangerous job on the planet, but carry over to family and friends, and are usually stormier than the Bering. Junior began his life as a fisherman in the shadow of his father, Scott Campbell Sr., and has struggled consistently to gain his own reputation as a captain. Arguably, one of the best fishermen working the waters today, Campbell Jr. has certainly done that, but not without sacrifice, of all sorts. Campbell has divorced and re-married the same woman three times, endured handicapping injuries and lost crew members to the icy waters of the north. Giving the Finger gives a first person account of these losses and the everyday fight for life and love, and shows that by hard work and perseverance, even a kid from Walla Walla, Washington, can become a star.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

264 pages, Hardcover

First published February 11, 2014

Reviews

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. FTC guidelines: check!

I had heard of Scott Campbell from watching the amazing television show, The Deadliest Catch, and from those short glimpses of him, I was expecting a lot from this book. He only mentions the television program very briefly towards the end of the narration, so if you're a huge fan of the show- you probably don't know much of what's in here and you're in a for a huge treat.

This book is a thrill ride of a life story. Scott Campbell, Jr's childhood was extraordinarily tough. His mother was drug addicted and absent, while his father was work addicted and also absent for long periods of time. He struggled with the typical challenges of growing up in addition to a learning disorder and the demands by his father that he begin working ridiculously long and back breaking hours at a very young age.

Because of his suffocating childhood and early teens, he became a hell-raising thrill seeker in high school and nearly didn't complete his degree. After high school, the high risk/reward structure of the fishing business in Alaska captured Campbell's attention even though his father tried to discourage him from joining the family business. And, after many hardships and struggles, Campbell's adventures on the sea began.

The pressures out on the sea are intense. The fishermen deal with extreme weather conditions, man-crushingly heavy equipment, little sleep, and (sometimes) 24 hour or longer work days. It makes for a very exciting and tense read.

In addition to relating tales about his deadly job, Campbell shares stories about his home life and wild drinking nights with his fishing buddies. With one risky decision after another, it's amazing that he's lived long enough to write about it. The ending of this memoir feels open ended and I got the impression that no one, including Campbell, knows what life has in store for him next.

I think readers who enjoy survival stories or watching intense, labor related shows like Gold Rush will love this read. It's exciting, emotionally wrenching (in places), celebrates the strength and tenacity of the men who brave the water to earn their livelihood, and flips a "literary" bird to the seas around Alaska and their dangers.

[Durk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads first reads program. Thank you!

I really liked the first four chapters, especially the description of all of his close calls (how didn't he break any bones??) and life on the farm and the sea. I had no idea that orchard farming was such hard work.

Even though I can't relate to de-icing a boat, and I hope to God that I'll never see exposed bone at work, I did relate to his experiences. Scott writes about the challenges of his life in a way that resonated with me.

If you like autobiographies and you enjoy the Deadliest Catch, pick up this book. I enjoyed it!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scott Campbell Jr., better known as "Junior" to fans of "Deadliest Catch," chronicles his career in the fishing industry in "Giving the Finger: Risking It All to Fish the World's Deadliest Sea." It's an entertaining look at a dangerous industry, and offers more background information on the history of fishing in the Bering Sea. The style of writing is rather conversational, making it a quick read. Fans of the show will enjoy it.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a giveaway on Good Reads. It was a quick read. This book was very interesting and gave you a glimpse as how Junior became the person he is today. You learn a lot about the rough spots he has encountered while being out at sea and the toll it takes on having a family. I would recommend this book especially to fans of The Deadliest Catch. It gives a more in depth look at everything a captain on the Bering Sea has to go through to catch crab and keep his crew safe.

[Jk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads first reads program and would like to thank everyone who made that possible.

I spent all day tearing through this book and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it! What an incredible, interesting and moving story. I have been a fan of the show since it started and have always been amazed at all the stuff these guys put themselves through. Overall I thought this was a really fun and well-written read and a great story!

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wild adventure that never stops. Very enjoyable, very well written. Explore the world of arctic fishing without getting wet and cold.

[Nancy Seamons · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fascinating story about one man's dedication to life as a crab fisherman in the Bering sea.

[Sandy Emmons · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read

I enjoyed this and found out many things about crab fishing which was good since we are huge fans if the show.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting quick read delving into Junior's life as he grew up, started fishing, and continued to fish. He's a daredevil who gives it his all and doesn't lack for adventures but he's always willing to put in the effort. I enjoyed that this book wasn't all about stroking Junior's ego. You got that he was just an average dude doing one of the deadliest jobs and enjoying the heck out of it. You don't have to have seen the show Deadliest Catch to enjoy this book; it reads as a great memoir. In fact, the show barely gets a mention.

[Lori Vaccaro French · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the Deadliest Catch boats. The book itself followed very well and made for a quick read. Scott Campbell came off as a bit arrogant but owned up to his mistakes. The part that really bothers me is many of these guys seem to glorify the party drunk fisherman image. Yeah some do, but many don't.

[Art Delaney]

Interesting re danger of the job and particularly length of seasons and impact on family life. Vocabulary and structure is pretty basic.

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love stories from Alaska, the fishing boats the details of the jobs on ship, the hardships the crew endure, the big bucks , the adventure! good book and \now i get the title after reading it!

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading the behind the scenes of the fisherman and this was no exception.

[Nathan Marti]

Giving the finger
By: Captain Scott Campbell

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars since I like how the book is written by the actually captain of the boat and is about his struggles in life and overcoming them. The story is about the hard life of living on a remote Alaskan town and trying to provide for his family. The book is about the brutal and hard winters they face out on the bering sea and how they overcome those challenges and fears they face.

The book is an autobiography which makes it really interesting since it is told in the shoes of the captain. Since it is written by the captain it captures the struggles that he faced as a child all the way up to an adult. The first part of the book is about his life as a child and learning how to be a fisherman from his dad. The second part is about becoming a fisherman and the struggles he faced as a young adult. The last part is about becoming the captain and running the whole operation on the boat.

One thing that is really good about the book is the Readers-aids and how it shows the different boats that worked on and the town and which he lived in. These pictures help readers who may not know much about fishing have an idea about what boats are used and the equintment.

One thing that this book lacks in is the writing and the sentence structure. At times when you are reading this book you can tell that he is a crab fisherman and not an english professor or writter. This why the book was edited by Jim Ruland who is an actual writer to make sure that the story comes together and make sense.