| In the Slick of the Cricket: The True Story Behind the JAWS Epic | 
 enlarge | Author: Russell Drumm
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $3.40
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (8 reviews)
Sales Rank: 673745
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 4.8 x 0.6
ISBN: 0140274359
Dewey Decimal Number: 799.1733092
EAN: 9780140274356
ASIN: 0140274359
Publication Date: August 1, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
In his forty years of charter-boat fishing off the shores of Long Island, Frank Mundus, captain of the Cricket II, has hauled in more terrifying multiton, multifanged great white sharks than anyone around. Unwittingly playing Ishmael to the Cricket's Ahab, local newspaperman Russell Drumm set out to accompany Mundus on what would be the captain's final voyage into the deep before hanging up his reel and retiring to a beach in Hawaii. What starts out for Drumm as a short escape from the mundane world of obits and ads for seaside condos quickly turns into a storm-tossed odyssey in which Mundus joyfully relives his seafaring days. The cantankerous and thoroughly entertaining captain treats Drumm and the reader to weird and wonderful stories about his ingenious fishing methods, his collection of charter "idiots" and heroic first mates, and his lasting bitterness toward author Peter Benchley for never acknowledging him as the source of the Jaws story. Weaving his own extensive knowledge of the marine environment and the fishing industry with Mundus's peculiar blend of philosophy and seafaring lore, Drumm delivers a stunning portrait of a unique modern adventurer and a bleak, yet humorously portrayed, vision of the apocalypse.
Winner of the Pushcart Press Editor's Book Award
Amazon.com Review
Who can forget the scene in Jaws when Quint, the weathered, steely-eyed captain scrapes his fingernails down the blackboard and announces to the quibbling town elders that they're dealing with a great white shahk? In all his hard-nosed glory, Quint might seem like a creation of Hollywood, but in fact he was based on a real fishing captain out of Montauk, Long Island--Frank Mundus, captain of the Cricket II. Mundus never got his due from the movie or from Peter Benchley, the author of the novel Jaws, and that irks him. Russell Drumm, a Montauk reporter, quickly learns this and a lot more during an adventure at sea with the famous shark hunter. Also aboard is the single charter, a big-game fisherman from Hawaii who has yet to grapple with the ultimate trophy: a great white shark. In the five days that follow, the three are tossed by storms during their pursuit of what has been called nature's perfect killing machine, and Mundus relives for the reporter his 40 years on the high seas. In the Slick of the Cricket is an engaging portrait of a driven man and his unusual occupation.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 Two stars for the plot. May 20, 2005
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Russell Drumm's In the Slick of the Cricket, is an introductory course to the legendary shark fisherman, Frank Mundus. Fishing in the waters near Montauk, Mundus is well known for bringing in record-breaking White sharks. According to Mundus, his straightforwardness and skillfulness in shark fishing inspired Peter Benchley to create the character Quint, in his most frightening and notorious novel-JAWS. We are given this information as well as several other humorous experiences as Drumm sails on what could very well be Mundus' last expedition on his indestructible ship, the Cricket II. I felt that the plot had the potential of becoming something much larger than what it actually is. Several of Mundus' experiences are thought provoking such as humankind's massive crave for the exploitation and genocide of all shark species after the film JAWS hit the movie screens. However, Drumm's writing style was often ambiguous; jumping from Mundus' stories to his present expedition without smooth transitions is confusing and mis-leading. Obviously, fishing jargon is commonly used and difficult to follow at times, but Drumm does a decent job in identifying and defining the terms through both his and Mundus' stories. Also, most of the chapters end with philosophical ranting about Drumm's personal views on a variety of the substance dealt with in the book, but the connections between his thoughts and Mundus' words were poor. If you're interested in fishing excursions and the exploitation of sharks, this book may be of interest to you. Either way, I recommend that the reader remains focused to follow the sketchy transitions between Robert Drumm and Frank Mundus.
 Interesting yarn, but he ain't no Melville. March 23, 2004
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is an interesting story from an author trying too hard. The previous reviewer was spot on. Wade through the metaphysics and introspection and you'll find the stories about the fishing and the fishing people interesting.
Quint Lives! October 8, 2001
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Taking place along the shores and outer reaches of Long Island, NY, Russell Drumm smartly lets the sea stories of Frank Mundus, purported to be Benchley's model for the shark hunter Quint,be the center of this short book. Joining Mundus on one of his last trips out before retirement, Drumm let's Mundus' voice do most of the talking and a fine story teller Mundus turns out to be. When sticking with Mundus and the journey at hand, the book is successful, but when Drumm explores the metaphysical with his take on the nature of fishing and the spiritual presence of a deck hand that committed suicide; the book veers off into places that just waste time and don't further the narrative. Read it for Mundus, and make your way through the rest.
Quint Lives! October 8, 2001
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Taking place along the shores and outer reaches of Long Island, NY, Russell Drumm smartly lets the sea stories of Frank Mundus, purported to be Benchley's model for the shark hunter Quint,be the center of this short book. Joining Mundus on one of his last trips out before retirement, Drumm let's Mundus' voice do most of the talking and a fine story teller Mundus turns out to be. When sticking with Mundus and the journey at hand, the book is successful, but when Drumm explores the metaphysical with his take on the nature of fishing and the spiritual presence of a deck hand that committed suicide; the book veers off into places that just waste time and don't further the narrative. Read it for Mundus, and make your way through the rest.
 Amazing June 24, 2000
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I loved this book. You don't find a lot of books about Sharkin around. I swear that I could almost taste the salt air of the Atlantic Ocean while reading this. Hats off to the author and thanks for the wonderful bio of Frank Mundus.
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