William B. McCloskey Jr. has worked as a Coast Guard officer, merchant seaman, and crewman on several fishing boats, among other positions. He is the author of the novels Highliners , Breakers , and The Mallore Affair , and the nonfiction titles Their Fathers' Work and Fish Decks . His work has appeared in Smithsonian , Audubon , International Wildlife , National Fisherman , and elsewhere. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.