Fairhope — Willie Robertson, star of A&E’s hit show Duck Dynasty and No. 1 NY Times bestselling author, will be featured at a book signing set for Friday, Nov. 18 at The Book Cellar at Page and Palette. Robertson will sign copies of his newest book "The American Fisherman: How Our Nation's Anglers Founded, Fed, Financed, and Forever Shaped the U.S.A" from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Book purchase is required to participate in signing and only those purchased exclusively from Page and Palette will be signed. Pre-orders are available for purchase on the Page and Palette website. For more information contact the bookstore at (251) 928-5295 or visit pageandpalette.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Willie Robertson, star of A&E's hit show Duck Dynasty, is one of America’s most beloved outdoorsmen.  He and the Robertson family know firsthand the satisfaction, fulfillment, and all-around American significance of our country’s number one pastime – fishing.  In THE AMERICAN FISHERMAN:  How Our Nation's Anglers Founded, Fed, Financed, and Forever Shaped the U.S.A (William Morrow Hardcover; On-Sale Nov. 15), Robertson traces the history of our great nation through fishing, showing how this beloved sport and way of life has done everything from feeding the earliest patriots, to driving the economy of many states, and shaping the overall life, creation and growth of the U.S.

For the more than 33,000,000 fishermen and women in America, and anyone who loves American history, THE AMERICAN FISHERMAN showcases just how important fishing has been in the founding and forging of our nation.  It all started with the “Founding Fisherman” – the Native Americans, the Vikings who survived the stretches of North America they explored by fishing cod, and of course the Pilgrims, who turned New England into a global fishing superpower and built the commercial foundation of colonial America.

From those early days forward, readers will learn how America’s wealth of fish changed the course of major wars and discoveries. George Washington turned to fish and fishing at key points in America’s early years to drive his troops to victory, and to solve numerous political and business crises.  Robertson tells the story of Lewis and Clark’s expedition in a whole new light, revealing how Native American fishermen and a few thousand salmon made their success possible.  Civil War buffs will marvel at Robertson’s telling of the Battle of Five Forks – this battle signaled the end of the war, and it happened because of a fatal Confederate error involving baked fish.

Robertson explores the history of sport fishing, and the symbolic moment in 1898 when gentleman fisherman Charles Frederick Holder wrangled a record-breaking 183-pound Bluefin tuna off the California coast, and modern deep-sea fishing was born.  He also looks at the significance of recreational fishing as a top pastime for many of our modern presidents, with a breakdown of presidents and their fishing habits, from FDR to Obama.

THE AMERICAN FISHERMAN also pays tribute to the importance of fishing for everyday Americans, and the transformative power it has on their lives every day – from providing therapy for wounded veterans and cancer survivors, to the spiritual elements of fishing, and the income and independence it provides to countless families across the country. Fishing sits at the very heart and soul of America.  Without it, our country would have forged an entirely different path.  This new book pays tribute to fishing as an icon of the adventure, ingenuity and devotion that define the United States of America.