This unique record of life amongst the coastal fishing people of the 1980s is also a journey back in time, with accounts of the experiences of older members of these communities, and descriptions of inshore fishing in its heyday. These are the fishing people who make a living from small open boats, and live generally in villages. The author and photographer have travelled the entire coastline of mainland Britain (England, Wales and Scotland), plus the Orkney and Shetland Islands. Thousands of photographs were taken, and show that, despite modern technology, fishermen's lives are as perilous and adventurous as ever. An enormous variety of skills are recounted in fishing techniques and associated manual crafts, and a wide range of fishing vessels are described - the book is a much-needed record. The book also looks at the changes in circumstances of Britain's fishermen, in terms both of social change on land, and of economic and ecological changes at sea. With its lively, well-researched text, maps, and superb seascape and technical photography old and new, the book will appeal to all those drawn to the sea, its people and its traditions.