Suzanne H. (DameEdna) -
Helpful Score: 4
Riveting, frightening...it will linger in your mind for a very long time. Junger is a terrific writer, and is able to make even scientific explanations (about super-storms, drowning, weather situations) exciting. Whether you have seen the movie or not, this is a highly recommended read.
Anne H. (WyomingAnne) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This well written book is not only a harrowing true story of men against the sea, but also taught me many interesting things about the dangers of commercial fishing which I found fascinating. I was not only gripped by the main events of the storm itself, but I was also interested in the human side of the relationships between wives, parents, girlfriends and the fisherman who would go to sea, maybe never to return. I was amazed at the risks that the rescue teams took, the National Guardsmen Swimmers, and Pararescue Jumpers are truely heros. As you read you understand the construction of the boat, the elements of the storm, decisions made, and how all of these may have contributed to the final outcome. The book goes much farther than the movie, and is a learning experience, as well as a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie, which showed unknown events as fact, and left out much of fascinating information found in the book, does not do justice to The Perfect Storm.
Corey B. (coreyann) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 34 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I began this book late one night after finishing the last book and immediately was swept in. This is not my typical reading faire but I do love any stories of the sea so it still follows suit. The storytelling isn't anything unique, the plot isn't one that hasn't been explored before, but whatever this writer did - it sucked me straight in, tearing apart the book in a little over a day. The story is about 6 fisherman abord the Andrea Gail during the Halloween Gail of 1991. No one survived and no distress calls were ever heard from the ship, making it very hard to come up with the last minutes aboard the ship but the writer does a fairly good job at that and you can almost put yourself on the deck with those men, feeling the rise and fall of the swells and the sheer terror they must have felt seeing 100 + foot waves about to break on the bow. The only criticism is that I feel that the author could have wrote a bit more chronologically (he does bounce a bit) and done more of a back story on the fisherman than just on Bobby. I think it would have filled out the story just enough but the book was quite well without it.
Helpful Score: 2
so much better than the movie...if you liked the movie this is a must read!
Kellie S. (acountkel) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 94 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was an incredible book. Not only was it a story of the Andrea Gail which was totally lost at sea. But it was also the story of other life threatening experiences during this horrendous Halloween Storm. Like the 5 men of the American National Guard that had to be rescued from the water during the storm. And the 3 people on board the sailboat that was headed to Bermuda. Junger gave a detailed and very eery description of what its like to drown. He also gave the reader a good idea of what the life of a fishing town was like. A very close knit, keep to themselves kind of group. I think he was lucky to get anyone to talk. In a way, I was kind of glad I saw the movie first. I at least had a vision of what it was really like. Even if some of it was speculation. Glad I read this.
Rebecca B. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 33 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
My husband liked it, but I had a hard time getting into it.
Helpful Score: 2
It has so much more detail than the movie. I recomend this book to everyone!
Carrie S. (carriej73) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 34 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A documentary about the storm. No real characterization and a lot of inane details. The movie was better :-) - and I almost never say that.
Jennifer C. (Jenisthecuteone) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Great read.
Martha S. (Marthatori) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 33 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A true story of men against the sea. Semi-fictitious novelization of a shipwreck.
Cassie H. (Irishcoda) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 88 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I'd seen the movie in 2001 or 2002 and so I knew how the story would end but I was curious to know how the author, Sebastian Junger, would present the story of the Andrea Gail when there'd been no survivors. One of the things I really liked was that Junger didn't try to make a fictional accounting of what might have happened. He said straight out he didn't know. Instead, he interviewed people who'd survived the storm, rescuers and people in need of rescue. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the two ways a person can drown. Reading the accounts of survivors and what happened when the boats were rolled by ginormous rogue waves was hair raising! To balance it out, I enjoyed reading about the area's fishing history and how the industry evolved. The background information was informative, not boring. Most of all, I felt for the loved ones left behind
Tanya T. (Countrygirl) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 112 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was a quick read for me, i enjoyed very much.If you are a fan of the Discovery channel series " The Deadliest Catch" you will enjoy this book!!!
Marci G. (GowerMeower) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 179 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Much better than the movie. Compelling and heartbreaking true story.
Shannon L. (gwennydear) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 52 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
What I loved most about this book was the way the facts were handled...this is not a bare-bones journalistic effort. Each fact is presented in such a way that I never lost sight of the fact that these people were real, the people they left behind were real, and the life they lived was not an anomaly, but the truth of every single day on that harsh coast and unforgiving sea. The fact that nobody knows exactly what happened to the ship and those aboard could drive their loved ones crazy if they let themselves think about it too long.
Facts and searing emotion, all packed together in the pages, fighting for space - I've read this book three times, and each time it made me cry.
Facts and searing emotion, all packed together in the pages, fighting for space - I've read this book three times, and each time it made me cry.
Janis K. (scrapbooklady) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 472 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
"The Perfect Storm" was well written! Junger gave me an understanding of the dangers the inhabitants of Gloucester live and breathe each day. I read the book before I saw the movie and was pleasantly surprised that the movie actually did a very good job in holding true to the book.
Helpful Score: 1
It might sound cliche, but if you liked the movie, read the book.
Junger pens the complete story, and actually shows the compelling reasons why the crew took the boat out under the conditions as they were. He paints a complete picture of the fisherman's subculture and what went so horribly wrong.
Junger pens the complete story, and actually shows the compelling reasons why the crew took the boat out under the conditions as they were. He paints a complete picture of the fisherman's subculture and what went so horribly wrong.
Beth A. (MacKayGirl) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 3 more book reviews
Great read! More detail than the movie.
Paula H. (KudzuKid) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 10 more book reviews
I missed George Clooney, but I know much more about death by drowning than I did from watching the movie (or was I just too pre-occupied looking at George??).
Amanda W. (SailorArby) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 49 more book reviews
FROM THE PUBLISHER
It was the storm of the centurya tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm."
When it struck in October, 1991, there was virtually no warning. "She's comin' on, boys, and she's comin' on strong," radioed Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail from off the coast of Nova Scotia. Soon afterward, the boat and its crew of six disappeared without a trace.
The Perfect Storm is a real-life thriller, a stark and compelling journey into the dark heart of nature that leaves listeners with a breathless sense of what it feels like to be caught, helpless, in the grip of a force beyond understanding or control.
It was the storm of the centurya tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm."
When it struck in October, 1991, there was virtually no warning. "She's comin' on, boys, and she's comin' on strong," radioed Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail from off the coast of Nova Scotia. Soon afterward, the boat and its crew of six disappeared without a trace.
The Perfect Storm is a real-life thriller, a stark and compelling journey into the dark heart of nature that leaves listeners with a breathless sense of what it feels like to be caught, helpless, in the grip of a force beyond understanding or control.
Well written, very suspensful, better than the movie
This is a riveting read about the downing of the Andrea Gail. Junger explains the dangers of fishing given extreme and not so extreme weather conditions. Gives the reader a greater appreciation for seaman who choose this way of life. Added appreciation for the Coast Guard and other agencies that provide rescue efforts for any size vessel traveling the open seas.
Patrice H. (FrillyKnickers) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 2 more book reviews
Excellent read...detailed but not boring in any way. (((Hugs!)))
Karen B. (skyfeather) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 194 more book reviews
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" -- a tempest that may happen only once in a century -- a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. CrIneating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, exept the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
This takes place in 1991. A nor'easter created waves 10 stories high. winds of 120 miles an hour. Six men aabord the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat experienced the storm of a lifetime. An on the edge of your seat book.
If you liked the movie, you have to read this book. It's so much better and more detailed. Great story of triumph over nature.
Carol R. (Windy) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 69 more book reviews
Movie and book were exciting.
Wendy G. (tendy) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 26 more book reviews
True story of the Andreaa Gail, Acommercial fishing boat lost at sea in October 1991 during "the perfect storm." Basis for the movie starring George Clooney.
Patricia C. (PattyJC) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 23 more book reviews
Lots of descriptive and technical passages on sailing can get overwhelming after a while. Otherwise, a good book.
Deanna McAlister H. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 8 more book reviews
Excellent condition. Excellent book.
Michael V. (mikev) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 2 more book reviews
Excellent intense.
Donna C. (DonnaRI) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 65 more book reviews
A very engrossing true story - you'll find this book difficult to put down!
Moriah W. (moriahlynn) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 22 more book reviews
Detailed book about the sinking of the Andrea Gail.
Francesca S. - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 134 more book reviews
Guaranteed to blow readers away...A+ - Entertainment Weekly
Quite an interesting book about the commercial fishing industry and the Andrea Gail.
Quite an interesting book about the commercial fishing industry and the Andrea Gail.
April D. (knittymama) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 424 more book reviews
Very interesting, technical, emotional, intense, and scary book. It's not my usual type of book, but I very much enjoyed it.
Paul H. (nessus19) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 4 more book reviews
A very engaging, informative (and quick) read.
Aimee S. (Ariadnae) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 356 more book reviews
An excellent and enthralling read, it drops right into the daily lives and daily dangers of these fishermen. At times funny, sad and even frightening, an incredible journey.
Much better than the movie.
Jo Ann B. (Tielsmomma) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 14 more book reviews
Better than the movie in my opinion!
I'm not really into reading sad books where I already know the ending - but this one is worth the read. It's the story the movie was adapted from, but the book is better.
Ken S. (jaxjag) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 5 more book reviews
A very interesting book. Hard to put down.
Loved this book. Excellent recollection of events as Sebastian could research them.
"A superb book" - Washington Post Book World
Marian S. (MemawBratt) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 4 more book reviews
Excellent story based on a real life event. Keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Petra (amethyst) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 16 more book reviews
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may happen only once in a century - a nor'easter created by so rate a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcievable levels few people on Earth have evr witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
Patricia H. (ladyunicorn) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 50 more book reviews
a true story of men against the sea. a white -nuckle adventure.
Merisa A. (nvangel) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 162 more book reviews
very good book
The book that the movie was based on. October 1991 and the tragic story of the Andrea Gail.
Christopher I. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 6 more book reviews
Don't rely on the movie to tell the story.
Ellie (EllieW) -
This is a harrowing account of man versus nature at it's most terrifying. A riveting book.
Lorraine G. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 118 more book reviews
i enjoyed this book better than the movie.
Marie F. (eree) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 12 more book reviews
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"- a tempest that may happen only once in a centery- a not' easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not have been possibly worse. Creating waves 10 stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcievable levels few people on Earth have ever sitnessed.
few, except the six man crew of the
Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards it's hellish center.
few, except the six man crew of the
Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards it's hellish center.
I liked this much better than I expected to: usually I read books about women\'s lives, but this was such a vivid description of perils that face fishermen that I was totally caught up in it. As good as the film, or better.
Pat C. (PC) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 19 more book reviews
If you have seen the movie and want to be entertained then this is probably not the book for you. This goes into aspects of the weather, background of the area, and other facts that aren't covered by the movie. Guess you could call it character development for the ocean, weather, and wind that came into making the perfect storm.
Waaaaaaaaaaaay better than the movie. The book allows you to get to know more characters, not all of whom die. Really interesting read.
Karina W. (funreader) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 54 more book reviews
over 10 months on the NYT best seller list. A great read, especially if you plan to visit Massachusetts sights! Karina
Mary P. (riverratreader) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 164 more book reviews
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"-a tempest that may happen only once in a century- a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
Susan P. (TirzaM) -
Includes some photos from the movie version.
Sandra F. (runcysmom) -
A great story about north Atlantic fisherman against the sea.
This book is up there with 'In Harm's Way' and 'Into Thin Air.' Riveting, an intriguing picture of the life of a fisherman, and the stunning, horrific choices on one fine day that lead to disaster. You won't be able to put it down. One of my all time favorites.
It made a great move... it's even a better book!
Jean-Marie R. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 5 more book reviews
I saw the movie before I read the book and because I thought the movie was so awful I almost didn't read it.
The book is FABULOUS!! It grabs you early on and doesn't let go until the last page. Even though I already knew how it was going to end I just couldn't put the book down.
The book is FABULOUS!! It grabs you early on and doesn't let go until the last page. Even though I already knew how it was going to end I just couldn't put the book down.
An interesting read.
Daniel C. (danscottc) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 175 more book reviews
The true-life story that inspired the George Clooney film.
The true story of the harrowing adventure of the fishing vessel The Andrea Gail and her crew. This is an exciting book that pulls you right into the heart of the characters and the storm!
Charlotte O. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 19 more book reviews
Well written and very informative. I learned a lot about swordfish fishing, the men who work on the boats and the families and friends they leave on shore. This is a tragic but very true story of a massive storm system at sea and the many people it affected.
Michelle P. (Michelle) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 124 more book reviews
What a story!
Cissy G. (cissyg0) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 4 more book reviews
Stay up all night with this one!
Guy M. (sig) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 33 more book reviews
a real classic...man against sea
a truely gripping story, I couldn't put it down..
Jill B. (PuppyMama) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 115 more book reviews
Exciting to read.
Kathy S. (kswift) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 57 more book reviews
Excellent account of a true-life situation. Gripping--kept me turning the pages. It was about "the perfect storm" in the north Atlantic in 1991, and the ships that were affected, and how some ships made it through the storm and how one ship tragically didn't make it.
its like the movie only better
Allison R. (christomboy) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 11 more book reviews
A true story of men agains the sea!
Chantelle S. (Chantelle) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 37 more book reviews
I saw the movie therefore couldn't read the book, just me.
Sheila G. (miatasheila) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 19 more book reviews
Much better than the movie.
Suzanne L. (CENA) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 24 more book reviews
Waves 10 stories high, winds of 120 miles an hour are what the 6-man crew of the Andrea Gail experienced in October of 1991. Phew. . . .
Joey S. (Joey) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 404 more book reviews
I loved this book. Captivating. (It was so good that I have avoided seeing the movie. I have heard that it was disappointing to those who had read the book.)
Stacy L. (stacyl67) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 335 more book reviews
From the back of the book:
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may happen only once in acentury - a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may happen only once in acentury - a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
Lorrie M. (ilovedale3) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 524 more book reviews
The true story of a fishing boat lost at sea during a once-in-a-lifetime storm and the basis of the movie of the same name. This book was quite intense and great for readers who enjoy true-life stories.
Ann B. (Ann-B) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 264 more book reviews
from Amazon...
Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it. Chief among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath roiling seas and high waves. Working from published material, radio dialogues, eyewitness accounts, and the experiences of people who have survived similar events, Junger attempts to re-create the last moments of the Andrea Gail as well as the perilous high-seas rescues of other victims of the storm.
Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it. Chief among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath roiling seas and high waves. Working from published material, radio dialogues, eyewitness accounts, and the experiences of people who have survived similar events, Junger attempts to re-create the last moments of the Andrea Gail as well as the perilous high-seas rescues of other victims of the storm.
I liked the book better than the movie.
Gripping read.
Mike J. (mikej) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 73 more book reviews
Don't pass this book up because you've seen the movie, the depth in understandably so much greater in the book. It delves into weather phenomena without being boring. I especially liked the telling of the search and rescue effort in the book.
Wayne L. (Gaddiel) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 31 more book reviews
I loved the movie, but couldn't motivate myself to read the book. I got about two chapters in and decided to abandon it.
Over ten months on the New York Times Bestselling list.
October 1991 - it was the "perfect storm" a tempest that may happen only once in a century-a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcevable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
October 1991 - it was the "perfect storm" a tempest that may happen only once in a century-a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcevable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.
good read
Jenny (Jenny) -
Gripping true story and basis for the recent movie-- After reading this book, I definitely have a new appreciation for the swordfish steaks that I pick up at the grocery store-- we rarely consider the hard work or the danger involved.
Theresa C. (tseas) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 15 more book reviews
This book as usual was better than the movie.
Karen U. (editorgrrl) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 255 more book reviews
From Kirkus Reviews
The experience of being caught at sea in the maw of a \"perfect\'\' storm (that is, one formed of an almost unique combination of factors), a monstrous tempest that couldn\'t get any worse, is spellbindingly captured by Junger, a journalist. It\'s late October 1991, and the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat out of Gloucester, Mass., is making its way home from the Grand Banks with a crew of six, 40,000 pounds of swordfish, and a short market promising big returns. Coming to meet the boat is a hurricane off Bermuda, a cold front coming down from the Canadian Shield, and a storm brewing over the Great Lakes. Things get ugly quickly, unexpectedly. The Andrea Gail is never seen again, lost to 100-foot waves and winds topping 120 miles per hour. Junger builds his story around the vessel; he starts with biographies of the deckhands and the captain, and gives as complete an account of the boat\'s time at sea as he can dredge up, so readers feel an immediate stake in its fate. Since it is unknown exactly how the Andrea Gail sank, and because Junger wanted to know what it was like for the men during their last hours, he details the horrific tribulations of a sailboat caught in the storm, the rescue of the three aboard it by the Coast Guard, and the ditching of an Air National Guard helicopter after it ran out of fuel during another rescue operation. Junger\'s fine dramatic style is complemented by a wealth of details that flesh out the story: wave physics and water thermoclines; what it means if you see whitewater outside your porthole; where the terms mayday, ill-wind, and down East came from. Reading this gripping book is likely to make the would-be sailor feel both awed and a little frightened by nature\'s remorseless power.
The experience of being caught at sea in the maw of a \"perfect\'\' storm (that is, one formed of an almost unique combination of factors), a monstrous tempest that couldn\'t get any worse, is spellbindingly captured by Junger, a journalist. It\'s late October 1991, and the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat out of Gloucester, Mass., is making its way home from the Grand Banks with a crew of six, 40,000 pounds of swordfish, and a short market promising big returns. Coming to meet the boat is a hurricane off Bermuda, a cold front coming down from the Canadian Shield, and a storm brewing over the Great Lakes. Things get ugly quickly, unexpectedly. The Andrea Gail is never seen again, lost to 100-foot waves and winds topping 120 miles per hour. Junger builds his story around the vessel; he starts with biographies of the deckhands and the captain, and gives as complete an account of the boat\'s time at sea as he can dredge up, so readers feel an immediate stake in its fate. Since it is unknown exactly how the Andrea Gail sank, and because Junger wanted to know what it was like for the men during their last hours, he details the horrific tribulations of a sailboat caught in the storm, the rescue of the three aboard it by the Coast Guard, and the ditching of an Air National Guard helicopter after it ran out of fuel during another rescue operation. Junger\'s fine dramatic style is complemented by a wealth of details that flesh out the story: wave physics and water thermoclines; what it means if you see whitewater outside your porthole; where the terms mayday, ill-wind, and down East came from. Reading this gripping book is likely to make the would-be sailor feel both awed and a little frightened by nature\'s remorseless power.
John O. (buzzby) -
If I never hear "Perfect Storm" as a simile/metaphor, it will be too soon.
Glenn Rock Conner (rockconner) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 57 more book reviews
Better than the movie!
De Shawna (liquid-velvet) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 13 more book reviews
great book!
Kandis N. (bookermom) - , reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 323 more book reviews
"Mesmerizing...Packs an emotional wallop." - Boston Globe
Shannon W. reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 52 more book reviews
I could not get into the book. I loved the movie.
October, 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may hapen only once a century - a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards the storm's hellish center.
Julie B. (julieannbon) reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 8 more book reviews
Paperback.
I have not read this book.
