Anyone who ever watched the television show "The Deadliest Catch" will be familiar with Phil Harris, the rough, gruff captain of the crab fishing boat Cornelia Marie. Phil was the most popular of all the captains and fishermen on the show. Braving the freezing waters of the Bering Sea and the lucrative but dangerous occupation of fishing for crab is a life that can only be handled by a certain type of man. Phil Harris was that. He was no angel and grew up the son of a fisherman. When a young man and even when he was old enough to know better he lived a life of drinking, drugs, high speed cars and motorcycles, and women during the off season and risking his life on the ocean when working. In between he had two wives, two sons and a stepdaughter, and a group of friends who were just as wild as he was. This book hides nothing about the man and makes it clear that his hard driving life and 5+ pack a day smoking habit are what led to his death from heart failure and a stroke at the age of 53. In spite of his faults, he was a man that was loved by everyone who knew him as well as millions of fans of the show. He also was a man who crafted one of a kind, elaborate bird houses as a stress relieving hobby. Those who own them cherish them. Just before his passing he managed to reconcile problems in his relationships with the sons who wrote this book which only made his audience (including me) love him more.
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