Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea, and One of the World's Deadliest Jobs, Library Edition

by Andy Hillstrand, Malcolm MacPherson, William Dufris

The Time Bandit is the fishing vessel that Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand use to hook the "deadliest catch," Alaskan king crabs and opilio crabs, in the Bering Sea, a dangerous and mercurial body of water that can steal years from a fisherman's life. The Hillstrand brothers, however, are the real "thieves." They take valuable crabs from the sea while facing its dangers head on. In pursuit of their daily catch, the brothers brave ice floes and heaving sixty-foot waves, gusting winds of eighty miles per hour, unwieldy and unpredictable half-ton steel crab traps, and an injury rate of almost 100 percent. There are fewer than 400 fishermen of this kind in the United States, and early death is a common fate. But the Hillstrand brothers are drawn to the drama and adventure of life on the high seas, as was their grandfather before them. They don't complain about the risks and dangers—this is their world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Adventure, Memoir, Autobiography, Family, Biography Memoir

Audio CD

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Andy Hillstrand is a crab boat captain that is most popularly known from the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch"

Andy trades command duties with John between seasons; he is the captain of the Time Bandit during opilio crab season.

He is talkative and considers himself the most levelheaded of the family. He runs the business side but always includes his brothers on the final decisions. Andy is also married (25 years), with two grown daughters, and one grandson. At his ranch in Indiana, Andy engages in his other passion: horse training. He trains Quarter horses through the natural horsemanship or “horse whisperer” technique. He is also 3x Barrel Racing Champion in Alaska.

Reviews

[Buggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening Line: "I am a fisherman, an Alaskan fisherman, and a Bering Sea crab fisherman with thirty-seven years on commercial boats."

As a long time fan of TV’s The Deadliest Catch and an avid biography reader it was a given that I’d read Time Bandit, I just didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did or be given such candour into Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand’s lives. Now thanks to the boys I also know just about everything I’d ever want to about; Alaskan weather, rogue waves, hypothermia, what happens when you party naked, ice flows, never quitting, how many groceries you need to feed 7 hungry men for two weeks, the coast guard (coasties), eagles, seagulls, the Bering sea, red gold, flares, silly string wars, crab pots, survival suits, cod, salmon, the fishing industry in general and how to get out of jail in Mexico.

If you’re a fan of The Deadliest Catch then you’ll love this even though you will have already seen some of the stories played out on TV. However all the behind the scenes details and the intimate look into Andy and Johnathon’s lives really make this worthwhile. Exhilarating, anguished and often hilarious these modern day pirates give a first hand account on what its like to face death on the Bering Sea with stories that are in turn riotous and often sadly reflective. They talk here just like they do on TV too so expect the F-bombs, a general feeling of unruliness and a hell of a lot of fun.

Ghost written by Malcolm Macpherson, he cleverly takes an assortment of the Hillstrand brother’s tales, adds some facts and then layers them all within a gripping adventure. Starting with Johnathan drifting alone in his 38 foot fishing vessel 'Fishing Fever'. He has lost power, doesn’t have a radio and is quickly running out of cigarettes however by the end theres still 1 flare left and he hasn’t cracked the Crown Royal.

Jonathans narrative takes us through the Hillstrand brothers rough and tumble childhood, the tempestuous relationship they had with their father and onto the Time Bandit into 2008. He provides a great deal of humour throughout, none of which I can repeat here but sure made me laugh and is without a doubt the “bad boy of the Bering Sea” A couple of chapters in we switch to Andy’s POV on his horse farm in Indiana. He has just received the call that his brother’s gone missing while salmon fishing. Andy’s narrative is less personal and places a lot of emphasis on family, marriage and having a life away from fishing. And although the more reserved of the pair make no mistake Andy has a wild streak too

Macpherson takes us back and forth between the two brothers with Andy waiting and worrying at the ranch and Jonathan drifting into Shelikof Strait, eating raw salmon and rationing cigarettes. The ending of this true life adventure is well…just another day in the life of a Hillstrand.

There’s also 16 pages of photographs.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why would I ever pick up this book? Because on April 16th these two brothers are coming to my Barnes & Noble as our first author event. And reading through this book, and watching the Hillstrands on Deadliest Catch one thing is certain - they might be two of the craziest people I will ever meet....and I don't even eat crab.

[Doug Cornelius · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just finished reading Time Bandit. I wish I had spent my time better. The book was written by Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand, with William MacPherson. The brothers Hillstrand are among the boat captains that star in the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. They are Alaskan king crab fisherman.

When I first got the book title, my first thought was about the movie Time Bandits. That movie is one of my favorites. The name of the book is the name of the authors' boat: Time Bandit. The authors' father named the boat after the movie.

The story opens with Johnathan out fishing on another of his smaller boats. The engine dies and the battery dies, leaving him stranded on the Bering Sea with no way to call for help. The book then jumps back and forth from the stranded boat to past stories of the adventures and misadventures of the brothers. The obvious comparison is to Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm. I am not sure whether it is a fair comparison or not. Regardless, as I was reading the book I kept thinking about The Perfect Storm.

I have not watched the Deadliest Catch, so I was not familiar with king crab fishing or the brothers Hillstrand. Perhaps I would have enjoyed the book more if I had watched some of the show first. But I didn't. After reading the book, I am not any more inclined to watch the show.

Johnathan comes across as cliche. He drinks hard, works hard and lives hard. Johnathan portrays himself as indestructible. So it is no surprise that at the end of the book he is rescued just in the nick of time. I thought his brother Andy sounded more interesting as he tries to balance his time fishing in Alaska with his horse farm in Indiana.

You can better spend your time re-reading The Perfect Storm or Linda Greenlaw's The Hungry Ocean.

[Tammy Dotts · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Hillstrand brothers, for those not familiar with Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, own and operate a crab fishing boat out of Alaska. The TV show follows them and other crab crews over the season. Time Bandit is the brothers’ story of how they became fisherman, how it affects their lives off the boat and the large amounts of alcohol, nicotine and sugar that are consumed during the crab season.

The book opens outside the crab season with Johnathan fishing for salmon alone. His boat runs into trouble and without engines and a radio he is at the mercy of the sea. His story serves as a framing device for the rest of the book. While on the boat, Johnathan “remembers” events from his childhood and days as a fisherman. Interspersed with Johnathan’s chapters are chapters from Andy, who is at his horse ranch in Indiana in the off season. Andy also looks back at his fishing life as well as offering some background on Alaskan, national and international laws and politics that govern the community. A few chapters from a third-person point-of-view describe what happens at the fishing camp when Johnathan doesn’t return and can’t be raised on the radio.

At times, the interwoven stories are hard to follow. It’s difficult to tell one brother from the other before you get to a specific detail that says “I’m on the boat” or “I’m on the farm.” It’s best to think of the book, not as a linear story interrupted by flashbacks, but as a long evening or two in one of the bars the crab crews frequent with Johnathan and Andy telling you stories. Some are shorter than you want; others are longer. And just like a bar conversation, tangents pop up that derail what seemed like a really good story that you never get back to.

Also, just like a bar conversation, the brothers talk about their friends and employees as if you also knew them. For someone who’s not that familiar with the TV series, descriptions of crabbers other than the Hillstrands are light. Readers get to know these men in broad strokes through snippets of stories involving near injury or arguments with the captains.

The book is at its best when the brothers take the time to flesh out the narrative and explain their jobs thoroughly. Johnathan describes a crab run that frustrates the men at first before the pots starts filling up. On its way to a processing center to drop off their $200,000 catch, the boat runs into pack ice. The story is occasionally interrupted by a tangent or the salmon story, but it’s told in full and keeps you turning the pages. Andy’s piece on the rationalization of crab fishing, which involves a lengthy discussion of Derby Day and Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, would seem to be a dry discussion of evolving legislation. Instead, it becomes one of the more interesting pieces of the book as he describes how the law changed how he works and the concerns he and his colleagues have over the future of the industry. Both men describe these pieces with passion; readers safe in their armchairs come away with an understanding of what life on the Bering Sea is like.

Unfortunately, the overall narrative is often choppy. If you’re having a bar conversation and are just as drunk as the guy telling tales, you’re okay with the tangents and distractions. If you’re the designated driver, you have trouble following the conversation and want to ask a lot of follow-up questions. Andy’s explanation of rationalization, although well written for the most part, has a confusing framing. It begins with Andy walking to the Indiana barn to check out his horses; his thoughts about change lead to the rationalization discussion. At the end of it, however, as he describes how the old ways are disappearing, he is suddenly on a plan with a pilot announcing an imminent landing in Alaska. This disconnect is typical of the book. A careful reader will want to look back at previous pages, thinking he’s lost the thread of the book. No thread has been lost; a new one was picked up without warning.

For fans of Deadliest Catch, Time Bandit may be a fast read with the confusion absent thanks to familiarity with the authors and setting. For someone not as familiar, the book is best read in small chunks with the ability to skim over the shorter tangents and confusing bits to reach the longer stories.

[Chris Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is story of two Alaska fishermen who co-own the fishing vessel, Time Bandit. They and the ship are regulars on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch.[return][return]The book begins with Jonathan's story. His childhood, his relationships with his father, his community (Homer, AK), his family, his brother Andy, and the sea. Always the sea. With Jonathan, it is always the sea. Jonathan is a fisherman, first and foremost. [return][return]Jonathan comes across as a sensitive guy who would give a friend in need everything he had and kill someone who he did not like if the guy looked at him wrong. He just about did kill a guy once.[return][return]The stories Jonathan tells are all entertaining. Many are sad. The Bering Sea kills. Jonathan has seen too much death. Many are funny and heartwarming. Jonathan tells us that the men that go to sea can range from the dangerous nut to the best guy with a heart of gold.[return][return]Andy Hillstrand seems to be a more balanced person. It is not all about the sea as it is with Jonathan. Andy has a horse farm in Indiana where he spends most of the year. He just comes to Alaska to fish with Jonathan. Fish and protect Jonathan from himself. Without Andy, Jonathan would probably be dead. Jonathan admits that readily. Call Andy, Jonathan's keel. [return][return]I cannot recommend this book enough. Real life high adventure![return][return]Get it.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay... I love the show "Deadliest Catch." When I found out about this book, I wanted to read it right away. I gotta say, this was one of the most exciting and poorly-written books I've ever read. Yep. I was excited to read it. And I laughed out loud several time while reading in reaction to the fact that this was actually a book that tried to have a through-line. That may sound confusing. But it's 100% true. This book was basically just Jonathan talking about the fights he's been in, the trucks he's owned, the women he's slept with all peppered together with stories about successful and horrible fishing trips in the quest for crab on the Bering Sea. Andy shares some of the story. But his is much more subdued and balanced with is alter-ego as a horse wrangler and trainer in southern Indiana. Jonathan fishes, fights, gets drunk and rides his bike. The 3rd author of the story TRIES to keep it all together and give this book at least an outline. Alas... it fails. But if you like the show, you'll like the book. If you don't know what you're getting yourself into, don't bother.

[The other Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I don't watch Deadliest Catch and knew nothing about the Hillstrands before reading this. I chose this book because it met a requirement of a reading challenge I'm doing (a book featuring fishing or fishermen).

The biggest thing I learned, and that Johnathan Hillstrand in particular wanted to make sure that his readers understood (by hammering the point home ad nauseam), is that the Hillstrands are the manliest of manly men, the men other, lesser men envy and aspire to be (but never can be because they're not manly enough). Also, the mere mention of them being crab fishermen on the Bering Sea is enough to make women's panties fly off. Who knew?

The stories about life at sea and what working on a commercial fishing boat was really like were mildly interesting (if very disjointed), but I'm afraid my panties remain firmly in place.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “DO YOU STOP WHAT YOU LOVE TO STAY ALIVE? OR DO YOU CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE EVEN IF IT KILLS YOU?”
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This is a true “HARROWING” spine-tingling story about Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand, two brothers who make their living as Alaskan Bering Sea crab fisherman. This captivating book is not only a scintillating biography but also an absolutely hypnotic first hand education into the entire Alaskan crabbing industry. “TIME BANDIT” is the name of their 298-ton, 113-foot boat that has a “hold” capacity of 120,000 pounds for king crab and 175,000 pounds for opilio. By the time a potential reader finishes this book I predict you will have come to the same conclusion I have: that life on the deck of a Bering Sea crabbing boat being bounced around like a ping pong ball in a wind tunnel, with “Williwaw-Winds” that can reach 130 mph at their peak, with waves over 40 feet high, with temperatures in Alaska hitting as low as 80 below zero, is truly the “last-frontier” as far as employment! And due to the aforementioned work environment, potential employees are not exactly Ivy League button-down types. Johnathan says: “The crews who work best on deck are animals who should be dropped off at the sea buoys on the way to port; we could pick them up on the way out. They are only trouble on land and end up in fights and in jail. I want the animals. But I do not want to take care of them.”
The fear of death in this industry isn’t really a fear, but an assumed statistic that has to be thought of as always happening to someone else. Because of this visceral “grim-reaper” of the sea that is always implicit but never acknowledged, there is an unwritten code between fishermen to respond even if not asked when a life or boat is in peril. “The killer is the sea.” When the water temperature is around 36 degrees Fahrenheit Alaska Fish & Game issues a warning about Alaskan waters, describing what happens to a man who falls overboard:
“The initial cold shock from falling into cold water provokes an immediate gasp reflex, up to 2-3 quarts of air-or water, if your head is submerged. If you inhale water, it is highly unlikely you will come to the surface unless you are wearing a lifejacket. This means you have to have your lifejacket on when you enter the water! The cold shock stage is characterized by hyperventilation and rapid heart rate, which often produce a panic feeling. This stage lasts 3-5 minutes. The initial shock can also provoke a heart attack, which will make self-rescue extremely difficult.”
“In the Bering Sea, you have to want to live more than the sea wants you to die, and strange as it seems NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO LIVE WITH THE SAME INTENSITY!” “In 2006 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing in general as the work with the highest fatality rate in America with 141.7 fatalities per 100,000, almost thirty times that of an average industrial worker. And the Bureau lists Alaskan waters and in particular the Bering Sea, which has claimed 2,066 lives since records were first kept, as far more dangerous still.”
As the reader gets deeper into the story with Johnathan and Andy narrating, you can almost feel the cold mist on your face and you start saying these guys have to be crazy to do this for a living. Well, they are a “lot-crazy”, but fishing is not only in their heart, but it is their entire salt-water soul. In addition to the non-stop action and the “READERS” non-stop fear of death for the real-life characters in this book, you will also receive an intricate non-stop education of this totally unique industry. Even in the midst of all this chaos, the writing style is absolutely seamless! This is truly a book that you won’t be able to put down until you and “the boys” finish their story!

[Tim Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just got out of the upstairs porch hammock at Pineapple Hill having finished Time Bandit, the memoir of brothers Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand whose fishing vessel of the same name has taken them out into the Bering Sea and back. Out there, they brave ice floes and heaving 60-foot waves, gusting winds of 80 miles per hour, unwieldy and unpredictable half-ton steel crab traps, and an injury rate of almost 100-percent in search of the deadliest catch: Alaskan king crabs and opilio crabs.

What makes Time Bandit especially fun is that these two guys were waaaaaaaay crazy long before they came to own that famous boat of theirs. As young boys they went camping—sleeping by the shore eating crows (which, for all I know, may be the tastiest thing in the world, I've never tried it)—while at their feet were a type of mussel deemed tastiest in the world (but they didn't know, having never tried it).

There were sword fights using garbage can lids for shields. Way too ambitious attempts to jump motorcycles over things—resulting in so many trips to the hospital for stitches that the doctor told their mother she'd save a lot of money learning how to do stitches herself.

I think my favorite story was from their childhood was the time a friend decided to become an astronaut by climbing into a metal garbage can while the two brothers lit the odd collection of combustible fluids and explosives underneath.

And not much changed as they got older. When not taking on near death experiences at sea, they faced them on land as well. Time Bandit describes lots of great brawls including the time one of Jonathan's uber hot girlfriends got her faced slammed into the bar counter by a biker, resulting in the biker being given a three-day coma by Jonathan.

I'll take along my copy of Time Bandit next time I'm fishing for our local version of Nessie at the Jonesville Reservoir.

Whatever you're fishing for, be sure to bring yours.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being a fan of the show The Deadliest Catch I was eager to read a book by two of the ship's owners. This turned out to be more than just a rehash of what goes on in the show. We learn a bit about the Hillstrand brothers as boys growing up in Alaska. They were just as reckless and fun-seeking as most boys and after reading about some of their antics it seems amazing they survived some of their hairbrained schemes. I also learned a bit more about the regulations they have to follow in order to go out and catch crab and how these rules create more work for the ship's owners but provide more safety for them out on the open sea. One thing that permeates the book is the Hillstrand's love-hate relationship with the job they do and the pull the sea has on their psyches.

[Mango · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's a thing. I didnt know its a show (somehow), but I saw quite a good amount of stars, and it seemed interesting. Now, the book is only half bad - its a quick read, but I am not sure if worth it. Part of it are childhood memories - hurrr, we were so crazy, durrr, we were so cool, hurrr, women, ah, money, durrr, our dad was bad but good, hurrrr boats, durrrr, sea. (#boring, you already know).

Two, there is a part that tries to explain the quotas and how the government tries to regulate the fishing - not half bad, until you realise the author tries to contradict himself, and sounds just childish, becasue WHERE IS ADVENTURE, BUT WE WANT MONEY.

Three, all the adventures described are kinda interesting, but could have been told differently/with more technical aspects, and without infantile philosophical attempts.

Not that bad, but it's not a "high" read. Could have been an article, or, oh wait, a reality TV ;)

[Jennifer Jarboe · Rating 3 out of 5]

What this book lacked in terms of the riveting, chilling narrative that exists in the Perfect Storm and similar books, it more than makes up for in its introspective examination of the psyche of deep sea fishermen and the fishing industry. This book really helped me see the “calling” that drives people to the sea - and the many types of fraternity that keep them there. This book also helped me to see how the industry has evolved in recent years and I particularly appreciated the anecdotes about the revelry onboard and antics between ships that make this dangerous life just a bit more light.

I couldn’t help but wonder if, in pursuing the “freedom” of the open seas and shunning being “chained to a desk”, these fishermen ironically chain themselves to something else entirely: an industry that is changing around them making their way of life increasingly difficult for them to truly make a living.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many anecdotes that are entertaining and fun to read throughout this book. But it is really more a collection of tales on the sea than a cohesive memoir. The tales are told in no particular order and the relevance to the preceding story is not always clear. The set-up was confusing when it bounced back and forth between Johnathan's real-time predicament and the stories from the past; however, I had an advance reader's copy and this might have been made more clear in the final version.

Overall, a very entertaining collection of sea tales but not much more than that.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Daniel Winnick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long on style, and one imagines that’s largely to the credit of the co-author, for whom this was the last project before he passed away in 2009. The narrative jumps between the perspectives of the two brothers and an omniscient narrative voice, and is built around the skeleton of a solo fishing trip gone awry (which of course holds little suspense, as you know it’ll resolve safely in the end).

As competent as the book is, the brothers aren’t *that* compelling as characters, and the TV show tells the story of the crabbing industry more vividly than words can describe. Still, it was a worthwhile read and a window into the inner lives of two reality-TV personalities.

[Richard Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time viewer and fan of Deadliest Catch I could not put this look into the minds of Andy and Jonathan Hillstrand. It was a valuable insight in to what makes these two of the great captains on the show and what made them the way they are. I highly recommend that you to put on your reading list.

[John Bacin · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice point-of-view to read about written by a couple of fun guys, but it was a bit all over the place in the writing, to the point where it was occasionally distracting. More like a collection of memories losely tied to a man's minor boat trouble.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some more detailed background on the Hillstrand brothers (mainly Johnathan) of the show DEADLIEST CATCH. Interesting history of the ups and downs of the fishing industry in Alaska and insight on what it's like to grow up in Alaska.

[Barbara Fusi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fish Story

Awesome read! Very well written. A wonderful exciting 'fish story'! So glad this accidently come into my Kindle! Totally enjoyed the ride.

[Caryatid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written, manufactured story line, excess testosterone.

[Donna Easterbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book

I love the show but this book is amazing funny knowable and well written. Jonathan and Andy are salt of the earth

[Joe Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly really well done!

[Thomas Krippgans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spannende Einsichten in den Alltag der Krabbenfischer aus Alaska.

[Conner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Been on a Deadliest Catch kick over the last few weeks. I followed the show closely in high school and college. It’s impressive how hard these people work in such harsh conditions.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Apriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Hillstrand brothers! If I was a crab fisher I would only want to work on the Time Bandit!

[Michael J. Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hillstrands are true American heroes of mine. I was fortunate enough to shake hands and briefly chat with them years ago in Asbury Park, NJ. I enjoyed how the chapters in this book went back and forth between Jonathan and Andy. Needless to say, this book is filled with epic tales, highly, highly entertaining stories paired with commitment(s) to honor, family tradition and true American grit throughout this book.

[Patrick Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of the Deadliest Catch reality show when it first started I had high hopes for this book. What I got was a book that seemed very juvenile, not just in it's presentation but regarding the characters. These are men that run multi-million dollar fishing empires and they can obvious be hard drinking, fun time men. The book left me viewing them more as White Trash.

There were some enlightening points but I was not a fan of the book and would never recommend to a friend, unless they were a 20 year old rebel without a cause. My initial excitement upon receiving the book was dashed as I read it. I had such high hopes. :-(

[Dreamybee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book made me laugh out loud, mostly at the antics of the Hillstrand brothers during their childhood, growing up in Alaska and on the Bering Sea. There are 5 brothers, and I can't believe any of them made it past the age of about 10. One super-glued his eye shut, a couple of them have shot each other, one was in a tree so the others chopped it down, etc. I guess this sort of devil-may-care approach to life is what's needed if you are going to grow up to be a captain of a crab boat on the Bering Sea.

Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" is a show about crab fishing. I don't like crab. I am scared of the ocean. I have no interest in living on a fishing boat. I hate the cold, and, overall, I'm a fairly girly girl. By all rights, I should have no interest in this show, but I LOVE it. You know how some people love being scared to death on a roller coaster? That's sort of how I am about this show. It combines all of my worst nightmares-30-,40-,even 50-foot seas, freezing temperatures, 36-hour work days, fish guts, dangerous work, and a boat full of unshaven men who smell like fish guts-and rolls them all into one fascinating look at life aboard a crab boat. The Time Bandit is one of the boats featured on the show, and two of the authors, Andy and Jonathan Hillstrand share the responsibilities of captaining the ship.

The book alternates narration between Jonathan and Andy and an occasional 3rd-party anonymous narration, which is kind of strange. Jonathan has gone out fishing on a small fishing boat and has lost power and is drifting at sea. As he tells his story he also tells about life aboard the Time Bandit. Andy has been informed of Jonathan's potential missing-at-sea status and his narration also goes back and forth between his present-day activities on his ranch and his thoughts about their time on the Bering Sea.

If you've watched the show, you will be familiar with a lot of the stories from the crab boat, particularly the two rescue attempts in which the Time Bandit was involved, racing against time, trying to pluck men out of the icy water before they died of hypothermia or drowned.

Overall, this was a quick enjoyable read. I would have given it 4 stars, but I felt like it was sort of a patchwork of stories-"Let me tell you about this one time...and then there was this other time...and another time" etc.-In the end, it all flowed together alright, and I imagine that's a lot how it would be if you actually sat down and talked to either one of these guys, but it didn't make for a very seamless reading.

If you like the show, you'd probably like the book, but I think the show is more gripping. If you've never watched the show, you should watch the show. Although the Hilstrands do a good job of describing life at sea, it's just hard to do justice to a rogue wave washing over the deck of a ship in 50-foot seas. It's much more impressive on-screen!

[Doreena Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I always watch Deadliest Catch about Alaskan Crab fishermen, the Time bandit and the Hillstrand brothers have always been my favorites, I had to read this book. It goes between Jon and Andy. They tell all about their lives growing up, family, fishing and escapades. This book definitely read exactly like them. I was also lucky enough to meet them and they are a hoot! and have my copy personalized and autographed by them both.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time Bandit is a simple tale from a simple fisherman. Granted, this fisherman fishes the most dangerous seas around and develops many tales from that. This book would never be remotely mistaken for literature. It reminds me more along the lines of telling tales through oral tradition. This isn't because he necessarily tells tall tales, though I do question the truth in many of them, just the way he writes or speaks.
Reading this, I was going to write that the first chapter, written primarily by Johnathan Hillstrand, is more of a primer for the life the brothers lead, but by the time I finished the book, I realized it never stopped this format. Because of this, he goes off on tangents frequently, and a lot of times, for too long. The book is packed full of various mini-stories with everything on how they outfit their boat to some of their more memorable crew. I think this entire book could have been streamlined a great deal. It doesn't seem to have any real strong direction to it. There is a plot of sorts, in that Johnathan is stranded on his 'vacation' boat and his friend is trying to find him, but this plot is so weak that it really is unnecessary. It probably would have been better without the pretense of any kind of plot, whatsoever.
I have to agree with one of the other reviews that I read. That is, I wanted to like this book, and maybe at another time with some different editing, I would have liked it, but overall this book was a great disappointment. I had a difficult time picking it back up after I had set it down and it took far too long to read, considering it's length and scope. I rarely toss my books in the bin, but that is exactly where this one is headed.

This was an early reviewers copy.