Very interesting account of the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts and its fishing industry. The book tells of the earliest explorers of the area including the Vikings, Champlain, and John Smith who arrived there in 1614 and named the area "Tragabigzanda". Kurlansky goes on to tell of the puritans and the trappers who settled the area and turned to fishing as a means of support. He describes the boats used and the many different types of fishing that evolve that would eventually decimate the fisheries not only in New England but throughout the world. He also relates many of the disasters at sea that have been a part of Gloucester history and cites over 5,000 deaths of fisherman lost at sea and he discusses the other people who populated Gloucester through the years including the many artists that used its scenic backdrops in their paintings.

I really enjoyed the stories of Gloucester and how the town has tried to maintain its fishing identity but what will become of Gloucester? Will the fishing industry recover enough for it to be viable again or will it go the way of other fishing towns and cater mainly to tourists and sports fisherman? The depletion of fish and other species is a real concern that makes for a bleak future. "For it to be over, for New England and all the coastlines of the world to house nothing but tourism and yachting, for Tragabigzanda to end after all these centuries, for Gloucester to no longer be Gloucester, would be...unthinkable."

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