The Last Waterman

by Glenn Lawson

last waterman by glenn lawson

211 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1988

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The son of ten generations of Chesapeake watermen describes the life of his ancestors down to his brother, Hon, who provides a remarkably perceptive view of the Chesapeake Bay's problems.
History of the Tangier Sound area and the work of watermen past and present is nicely woven into a an account of a series of visits Lawson made back to the area. It really makes clear just how hard this work is, physically, and just how rewarding. A number of unconvincingly convenient conversations do some of the work of weaving, but this is worth it for the details about watermen's lives. Hon Lawson's evidence--the death of the grasses--should have convinced everyone that something needed to be done about the things going IN to the bay rather than just focusing on what people were taking out of it.
Read on the 15-year-old advice of a Burke parent in an email I just unearthed

[Mark Alan Lovewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! A personal history of the Cheseapeake Bay, its fish, its crabs and oysters; by a fellow that grew up on the water.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting insight into the life of the watermen...left me scratching my head and wondering: who would DO that? But I'm glad they did. Loved the historical background. Makes touring the Eastern Shore so much more meaningful.