“The Big Blue is a secret society . Out where no human eyes can see, where the night is truly dark and the dawn a blinding sear, we set the wild man in us free. We never planned to share our secrets with anyone.” – Mark Cavanagh Big Blue Society is the hysterical and emotionally charged true story of what happens when a diverse but devoted group of men overcome life challenges and live life by one motto: Go for It… and Deny Everything . When disabled Vietnam veteran and war hero Norm Hansen returned home in a body cast and suffering from PTSD, he felt helpless, hopeless and lost. He asked his best friend to take him to catch a fish, but the one place where success was ensured was posted and patrolled. They got arrested and threatened with jail time if caught trespassing again, so they had to take their angling adventures on the road. Over 40 years of fishing and camping trips took the Big Blue to inspiring and beautiful outdoor adventures from the Adirondacks to Yellowstone National Park, from forbidden reservoirs to Great Camps throughout New England – a Society born of the need for freedom, camaraderie, roaring campfires, wild initiations… and occasionally fish. Equal parts emotional healing, misadventure and enduring camaraderie, Big Blue Society is about a once-in-a-lifetime brotherhood that formed around Norm and how it healed them all. Outdoor adventure enthusiasts and fans of camping and fishing humor books will appreciate the quiet, reflective, thoughtful moments in the book as beloved members pass and the remaining members soldier on… for the Big Blue Society lives on so long as one of them draws a breath. “What will we do when we’re too old to go on these trips? We’ll make a hypnagogic return to the days of the Big Blue. This book recalls those days - a great comfort as our Winter sets in.”