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.
Review Quotes:
John U Bacon's The Gales of November brilliantly documents the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. His scholarly research is deeply impressive, and his knowledge of Great Lakes history is masterful. Highly recommended!--Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of American Moonshot and Cronkite
An exciting and heartbreaking narrative that relies heavily on interviews with relatives and friends of the 29 lost Edmund Fitzgerald crew members.... A lifelong Michigander, Bacon beautifully describes the gritty world of the Iron Range ore-mining districts and the Great Lakes ship-ping industry. His writing is most absorbing when he recreates the lives of the 29 victims, from the admired captain to the newest rookie. But the tour de force is his gripping hour-by-hour narrative of the wreck, enriched by inter-views with men who had served previously on the Fitzgerald - or were on other ships in the same horrendous storm.... A definitive accounting that may be the last book that can draw on direct contemporary observations of this colossal tragedy.--Bookpage, starred review
An absorbing Perfect Storm-esque literary narrative.--Christopher Borelli "Chicago Tribune"
Both an emotional tribute to those lost and a gripping narrative of America's most-mourned shipwreck.--Chris Szepessy "WindCheck"