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The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald
by John U. Bacon
On the fiftieth anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald's sinking, the bestselling author of The Great Halifax Explosion tells the definitive story of the "Mighty Fitz."
For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald―the biggest, best, and most profitable ship on the Lakes.
But on November 10, 1975, as the "storm of the century" threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time. When she sank, she took all 29 men onboard down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.
In The Gales of November, award-winning journalist John U. Bacon presents the definitive account of the disaster, drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families, friends, and former crewmates of those lost. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America's economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinking's most likely causes, and the heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind―"the wives, the sons, and the daughters," as Gordon Lightfoot sang in his unforgettable ballad.
Focused on those directly affected by the tragedy, The Gales of November is both an emotional tribute to the lives lost and a propulsive, page-turning narrative history of America's most-mourned maritime disaster.
What’s the last book you purchased? Why did you select it? Paperback, hardback or ebook?
I went to a new bookstore grand opening event and purchased: The Gales of November by John Bacon The Elements by John Boyne Have not read them but looking forward especially to The Gales of November after hearing the author on a podcast.
-Anne_Glasgow
"[A] superb education in geography, seamanship, and history....Bacon writes in arresting prose....The author makes the Fitzgerald the centerpiece of a broad account of Great Lakes shipping, the careers and daily lives of the crews—and the industries, cities, and bars that feed them—and tales of other sinkings. A gripping account of a maritime disaster." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"An exciting and heartbreaking narrative that relies heavily on interviews with relatives and friends of the 29 lost Edmund Fitzgerald crew members…A definitive accounting that may be the last book that can draw on direct contemporary observations of this colossal tragedy." —BookPage (starred review)
"Here is a work of spectral beauty destined to be a classic. Readers of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Erik Larsen's Dead Wake, and Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea will love this deeply reported tale from our vast inland ocean. With Bacon's graceful and poignant retelling, the saga of the Edmund Fitzgerald now takes its rightful place among the world's greatest legends of shipwrecks and tempestuous seas." ―Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of The Wide Wide Sea and In the Kingdom of Ice
"This book is an epic achievement. Gripping in its reporting, poignant and heartbreaking in its storytelling, with an encyclopedic grasp of history, and a heart-pounding end to a tale already known around the world but revealed here as never before, The Gales of November is a book to be loved by fans of David McCullough, Erik Larson, and Candace Millard. I grew up on Lake Michigan and I learned more than I thought possible. Pick up this book. You won't forget it, and you won't put it down." ―Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times bestselling author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers
This information about The Gales of November was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
John U. Bacon has authored fourteen books on sports, business, health, and history, the last seven of which are critically acclaimed national bestsellers, including five New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Ann Arbor and northern Michigan with his wife and son.
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