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(More customer reviews)If a bigger power shovel means a more efficient mining operation, then what is the limiting factor on the size of a power shovel? The answer, it turns out, is the size of the tires on the trucks that haul away whatever the shovel digs. "Soul of a Port" is full of such surprising information, but this delightful book is no mere recitation of dry facts. Dobkin introduces us to scores of colorful characters and experts on the local lore of Milwaukee's port, from dock workers and sea captains to administrators and businessmen. Through their eyes, and in combination with a rich selection of historical narrative, this book exposes a side of the city few residents or visitors get to meet.
A modern-day Huck Finn would have to climb over a lot of fences to obtain the level of access accorded Dobkin as she noses around facilities off limits to the general public. We get a peek at freighters in dry dock undergoing winter repairs, shifting dunes of road salt in cavernous storage sheds, and massive cranes lifting 100 tons of cargo at a time. The author even rubs elbows with the Indian crew of a 650-ft. freighter on the last leg of its journey from Germany, delivering fertilizer and steel to the port.
Many fictional accounts from "On the Waterfront" to HBO's "The Wire" portray a port as a cesspool of corruption and contraband. Too many news stories confirm the impression, but "Soul of a Port" offers an alternative narrative. The integrity and respect with which the men and women of the Port of Milwaukee treat their customers and each other is a consistent theme throughout the book. While such a good-news story may not make headlines, it bestows honor where it is due. "Soul of a Port" is a source of pride for any Milwaukee resident.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Soul of a Port: The History and Evolution of the Port of Milwaukee (WI)
Ever since her boat drifted up against the mammoth docks in Milwaukee's harbor, Leah Dobkin has been enthralled by the evolution of the port and the city so firmly moored to it. From an era when it was a "Milwaukee Miracle" to make landfall without losing luggage to a promising future powered by alternative energy, Soul of a Port is steered by that same sense of wonder. And since the port's story is not just one of nuts, bolts and cranes, Dobkin's narrative is also well crewed by the characters who have given the place such a fascinating legacy. Settle in for an entertaining passage that includes a longshoreman's poetry, the Milwaukee Clipper's recipe for prime rib, a tugboat ghost story and much, much more.
