Non-Fiction - General

144 Pages

Reviewed on 09/07/2018

Book Review

Reviewed by Kimberlee J Benart for Readers' Favorite

If you enjoy reading non-fiction books where the author’s personality and charisma are as much apart of the narrative as the subject, Harpoon: The Passion of Hunting the Magnificent Bluefin Tuna by Captain Corky Decker is for you. If you happen to be a fan of sport fishing or have an interest in the fishing industry or the history of harpooning, so much the better. I’m none of those, but I didn’t want to put this book down. Captain Decker, a commercial harpooner, writes in the way I suspect that he speaks. He’s to-the-point, down-to-earth, enthusiastic, friendly, and business-like, all at the same time. I knew little about the bluefin tuna when I started, but I’ve gained a new appreciation for both the fish and the harpooners who hunt it. Photographs add a wow factor for readers not familiar with the size of this amazing creature.

In Harpoon, Captain Decker provides an informative and engaging treatment of the topic, starting with his first thrilling view of a bluefin tuna at the age of five and ending decades later as a new crop of young people experience the same thrill. He covers the history of harpooning, the business aspects of the fishery, and the future of the industry, with a splash of interesting