The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald

ISBN: 1324094648

Author: Bacon, John U.

Condition: New

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERSmithsonian 10 Best History Books of 2025Bookpage Best Books of 2025"A work of spectral beauty destined to be a classic. Readers of Sebastian Jungers The Perfect Storm, Erik Larsens Dead Wake, and Nathaniel Philbricks In the Heart of the Sea will love this deeply reported tale." -Hampton Sides, New York Times best-selling author of The Wide Wide Sea and In the Kingdom of IceThe Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald has been told and retold by authors and bards. But never has it been told better than by Mr. Bacon in this colorful and compelling book.... Dead men tell no tales, but their loved ones do. Mr. Bacon tracked them down and listened. -John J. Miller, Wall Street JournalOn the fiftieth anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgeralds 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 Americas economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinkings 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 Americas most-mourned maritime disaster.Two 8 page full-color inserts