Rise of the Cajun Mariners: The Race for Big Oil

by Woody Falgoux

Book Overview

The story of four families of Cajun boatmen and their rise from trappers and shrimpers to mega-millionaires. Rise of the Cajun Mariners documents an untold piece of American history--the beginnings of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0979292018
• ISBN13: 9780979292019
• Release Date: June 2008
• Publisher: Stockard James
• Length: 283 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

True Rumor

This book opened a new chapter in my life and for me, has deep meaning on a personal level. It's a great read with honest jetsetter stories. "Mariners" is a compelling tale of what was going on during the boat booming bayou days. It's the kind of book you cannot put down and is a good read enabling one to hop around chapters. To the Author, you left one major story out, and i thank you for that. For that is my story to tell in my own time. I must say, when I began reading this book, my own true rumor began to surface with stories from the 60's that was always kept a secret from me, until now.

A one-of-a-kind glimpse into the lives touched by the industry as well as the industry itself.

Rise of the Cajun Mariners: The Race for Big Oil is an up-close and personal glimpse into the cutthroat history of the oilfield boat business, which was born in Louisiana's bayou country and pioneered by Cajuns. From the inception of the island marine oilfield in the late 1930s and early 1940s, to the boom and bust cycles of subsequent decades to the present, Rise of the Cajun Mariners traces the ingenuity, determination, and rapid modernization of a worldwide industry. Peppered with true-life anecdotes of oilfield life, by oilfielders themselves, Rise of the Cajun Mariners is a one-of-a-kind glimpse into the lives touched by the industry as well as the industry itself.

Fascinating - A Must Read

A rarely-glimpsed but crucial part of American life comes alive in this well-written, action-packed and very human story. Reader beware - once you pick it up it's tough to put down. Falgoux has the rare gift of capturing the energy, charm and ingenuity of the Cajun people. I highly recommend this book.

Marvelous!!

I could not put this book down once I began to read it. The book is well written and puts the reader right into the lives of the people who worked in the offshore oilfields of the Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea. Marvelous seamen known the world over, the book recounts how these men began to work in the "oil patch" in sometimes very difficult circumstances. Using ingenuity and their common sense, these hard-working peole from the small communities along Bayou Lafourche helped to grow the global economy to the benefit of all. Such men as Tommie Vizier, Jr., Mitch Eymard and Ted Savioe grew up in this business and their stories are facsinating. Too often stories like these are "fish tales" but having heard some of the book's stories from a person who was there, it is obvious that the author recounted the anecdotes accurately as they were told. It's simply a great read and well documents a national treasure--the "cajun mariner."

Outstanding, well written and way past due!

Before I go into my review I think the reader show know a little about my background. After all, I myself could never understand how someone could rate something that they know little about. The year was 1971. I had barely turned 16 years old and traveled from my home in Alabama to Bayou Country. I went to work right away on a 57 foot Equitable Crewboat for Albert Guidry that was running Oilfield crews and supplies from Grand Isle, La. Being an outsider the Cajuns immediately tagged a nick name on me, I was and still am known to many there as "Alabama". I loved the work and the people so much I made it my career and it continues to this day. The Author, Woody Falgoux has done his homework. The book is well written and covers enough detail about the people, places and things that even a green horn there would feel at home as he sinks deeper and deeper into the book. The good folks of "Down the Bayou" love to talk and remineise. As a young man working with these folks I was able to learn many of the stories that the Author shares. I feel I could spot a hoax right away. There is no hoaxes in this book. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes good and sometimes bad...this book has it all! I was lucky enough to find and buy an autographed copy of this book and it will be a treasure of mine until the end of my days. I will be buying several of these books. My intent is to pass them out to my closest friends in the industry for Christmas gifts, yet Christams is 7 months away and that is much to long of a wait for a read as good as this one! My hats off to Mr. Falgoux for writing a book that is long past due. Thank you Woody Falgoux. Capt. Rusty Hobbs DSV Midnight Star