The Western Flyer

"Written with deep passion and knowledge for the boat and the fish harvested from it. . . . a poignant warning about humanity's impact on the globe." —David B. Williams, Seattle Times

In January 2010, the Gemini was moored in the Swinomish Slough on a Native American reservation near Anacortes, Washington. Unbeknownst to almost everyone, the rusted and dilapidated boat was in fact the most famous fishing vessel ever to have sailed: the original Western Flyer, immortalized in John Steinbeck's nonfiction classic The Log from the Sea of Cortez.


In this book, Kevin M. Bailey resurrects this forgotten witness to the changing tides of Pacific fisheries. He draws on the Steinbeck archives, interviews with family members of crew, and more than three decades of working in Pacific Northwest fisheries to trace the depletion of marine life through the voyages of a single ship.


As the Western Flyer herself faces an uncertain future, debates about the status of West Coast fisheries have resurfaced. A compelling and timely tale of a boat and the people it carried, of fisheries exploited, and of fortunes won and lost, The Western Flyer is environmental history at its best: a journey through time and across the sea, charting the ebb and flow of the cobalt waters of the Pacific coast.


"Of interest both to Steinbeck fans and readers of Paul Greenberg's Four Fish." —Library Journal

"A rich blend of philosophy, ecology, history, and first-rate literature." —Donald Gunderson, University of Washington—Carmel Finley Blog


"A valuable conservation lesson, one that should be read by every aspiring fishery biologist. . . . Recommended." —J. C. Briggs, Oregon State University—Choice