Early one summer morning the author, a marine biology student, boarded the 90 foot commercial longliner, Defiance, as a greenhorn fisherman. This is his personal account of that  trip - a vivid retelling - an emotional snapshot - of the fear, the boredom, and the exhilaration of the hunt for giant swordfish over the deepest canyons of the North Atlantic. 

            A concurrent theme speaks to the environment. When the greenhorn gaffs a dangerous fish, he is also the biologist, observing the animal's life struggle, a symbol of an ocean in decline. Through his eyes we witness by-catch, floating debris, oil slicks, and diminishing catches. While the main theme engenders appreciation for swordfish and the fishermen who risk their lives to hunt them, the environmental story is just as important. In his conclusion, the author presents solution to protect and improve the ocean. 

                                                    Early Reviews   

~ Recommended reading - the U N Atlas of the Oceans

~ “…Written by a marine biologist, physician and fisherman, the “The Swordfish Hunters” is laced with humor, loaded with vivid description and spiked with insight,  making it appealing not only to the naturalist/environmentalist and fisherman but to anyone who loves a good sea tale. I highly recommend it.” Jeff Corwin Host, Executive Producer, Author, Emmy Award Winner  THE JEFF CORWIN EXPERIENCE - Animal Planet

~ “Your book is an excellent piece of work….Your combination of personal narrative, informative details and environmental exposition is so well set forth and commanding that I read it all.”  Stanton A. Waterman  President - Shark Research Institute (SRI) FILMS UNDER THE SEA - Stan Waterman Productions (5 Emmy Awards)

~ “Dr. Thomas Armbruster, a marine biologist and physician, presents a first-hand description of the excitement, danger, and challenges working aboard an offshore commercial long-lining fishing boat. Through his eyes we also see the devastation caused by overfishing to the magnificent swordfish. This is a most interesting and entertaining chronicle of his experiences; anybody interested in the ocean and its creatures will find this to be an excellent read.”
David A. Ross  Ph.D., Scientist Emeritus  Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

 ~ “… the most interesting combination of autobiography and sea story that I've ever encountered!  It offers a thoughtful discourse on the plight of sharks, whales, and particularly swordfish, resulting from man's predation.  Dr. Armbruster's treatments are well-reasoned and it is difficult to argue with a scientist who has actually done his sea time!”

Dr. Robert B. Abel President Emeritus-New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium
                                 Founding Director-NationalSea Grant Program

~ “… a proficient account of the problems facing swordfish, tunas and other migratory fish in the Atlantic.  Against the backdrop of a dramatic and captivating storyline based on his own sea-going experience, Dr. Armbruster brings needed attention to the plight of these pelagic fish and the dire need to conserve them. …a must-read for anyone interested in either catching or studying the oceans "biggest fish."”
Tim Hobbs  Fisheries Project Director - National Coalition for Marine Conservation

~ “As depicted in "The Perfect Storm," longlining is a mixed bag of experiences ranging from the elation of a big catch and prospective riches to the grind of constant work and little rest … It’s a fascinating story and Thomas lays it out with clarity and uncompromising honesty.”

Al Ristori Regional Editor - Salt Water Sportsman Magazine, Conservation Editor  - The Fisherman, Saltwater Editor  - Newark’s Star-Ledger

~ “Armbruster gives vivid detail of the whole works… the hazards of fishing through 20-hour shifts, the brutality (swordfish dead or alive are gaffed through the eye and bled)… the author steps aside to describe the weather, the birds, the life histories of marine animals, the rules that regulate fisheries…There’s a lot here to digest.”

Dery Bennett  Editor Underwater Naturalist - American Littoral Society

~"I read this book from cover to cover and it brought back some experiences that I have lived through. A reader feels that they are eating, sleeping and working alongside Dr. Armbruster and the crew as they fish. I commercially harpooned swordfish in their heyday and have witnessed the decline in numbers that began in the 1970s. By the time I stopped fishing, there wasn't a swordfish to be found. This book tells it all and should be read by everyone.” 

Frank Mundus Captain - Charter boat fisherman - Author of Fifty Years A Hooker