Last of the Blue Water Hunters, Revised

Dont be put off by this. The very word 'hunter' has acquired a negitive connotation over the past half centuary and I must confess that in some sense I too had begun to internalize this bias. Mr. Eyles is not an apologist for what some may view as a bloodsport, he is a writer and natrualist who communicates the beauty of the natrual world and preindustrial man's place in it.

I keep a copy of this book on my nightstand and read from it at least three times a month. I can open it up to any page and escape the worries of the day. It is especially nice to read when work keeps me from the ocean for long weeks at a time. I would (and have) recomend this book to everyone, diver and non-diver alike. No one has been disappointed.


You'll want to live it   February 26, 2002
Eric Howard (kansas city, mo. United States)
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

I am an avid diver and my underwater hunting has been limited to using the Hawaiian sling spear in S. California and the waters off Okinawa. This wonderful book has opened a world of possiblities to me. In the '70s the author anchored his boat in the Channel Islands to see if it was possible to sustain himself by spearfishing alone. There was a belief that the nurishment gained by eating fish could not make up for the energy lost in the effort of spearfishing. The author takes us into the kelp beds of the Channel Islands and then flashbacks to the early historty of spearfishing. Carlos tells of the exploits of the first spearfishermen and how they developed their gear. This book will make you long for the early days of exploring Baja in the 1960's and you'll wish you were there. This book will help you realize, I think, what's really important in life. keep this book because you'll want to reread it.


Great book of Underwater Adventure   August 4, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is a book based on the personal feelings behind Carlos Eyeles and his adventures of breath hold underwater spearfishing. I was not into spearfishing when I read this book, but it inspired me to take up this sport, taking me into his world as only Carlos can describe. This in not a "how to" book, but it teaches the reader how to be proficient in the water as a breath hold diver. This book truely expresses the true essence of being in the magical aquatic world. This book is masterfully written and it was a real joy to read.


Hard to explain the effect of this book...   November 3, 2001
Rodney Kolke (Nanaimo, British Columbia Canada)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

I read a quote once that said "When you sell a man a book, you don't sell him 12 ounces of paper, ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life." I should stop typing right now, and just say 'buy this book and prove that quote true.' I keep coming back to this book, mesmerized by the images it conjures up in my mind, and finding in it the unspoken reasons for my rediscovered love of the ocean. For those who love the sublime reality of the life and death world under the waves, who long to find their place as hunter and adventurer in the deep blue, this book will profoundly move you and leave you with the taste of a whole new life. Read it, and see what I mean.


A great history of the spearfishing days of old!   November 3, 1998
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Carlos Eyles' book is a great narrative on how he was able to live the life of an adventurer, foraging off of the sea while maintaining respect for its inhabitants. It is amazing to realize that his stories are true, and that there was once a day when lobsters were everwhere, abalone were crammed into every available crevice, and white sea bass were available 100 yards offshore. It is sad when one realizes what humanity has done to our pristine ocean that God has given us. These stories are a must for everyone to remember how things once were, and so that we don't repeat the mistake of over-gathering. It is great to read about the days when lobsters could be gathered by the barrel-ful, but it is also precisely the reason that they are no longer in abundance.