Rating: 
Summary: Not as gripping as other adventure books
Review: When I read Into Thin Air I couldn't put it down. So when people told me this was a similar book, I bought it. Unfortunately, I thought it failed to really put the reader in the moment and was padded too heavily with some intelligent guesswork on the part of the author as to what might have happened in the final hours, minutes before this boat went down. Of course, the author is not fully to blame for this lapse, and comparisons to Into Thin Air may be inherently unfair, since Krakauer was there to experience the ill-fated adventure he describes, while Junger, of course, was not. Given this reality however, I thought he took the wrong approach by using so much of the book to attempt to recreate the scene. Lengthy descriptions of the science behind the storm seemed a bit arcane, and not really relevant to anyone except a meteorologist. While I am fascinated by ship wrecks, I think it is always better to write convincingly about the part of the disaster that is known rather than speculating about the rest. Therefore, I would have liked more information on history of other wrecks in the area. Also could have done without the description of the weather patterns. While other parts about the victims' families was interesting and helped bring a human angle to the story, I found some of the descriptions a bit stereotypical and the prose a bit clunky. This book isn't horrible. If it had been a magazine article I probably would have liked it -- Junger has clearly researched his topic thoroughly. But after you have finished the book, you have the feeling you should have learned a little more. For that reason, I am a little surprised by all the accolades this book has received.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for insomnia!!!!
Review: I usually love adventure books of any type and was excited about this book until I started reading it. The cover exclaims, wonderful, exciting, can't put down! Yeah right! I have read this book for about two months and I'm still reading it. When does the good part come? I read it at night to get sleepy. I get through about 2 or 3 pages and I'm ready to turn off the light and go to bed. Save your money if you don't have insomnia. Try "A Walk in the Wilderness" or "Into Thin Air".
Rating: 
Summary: This book illustrates the true meaning of the word survival
Review: When I was trying to think of a way to describe how truly good this book is the only thing I could come up with is that as you are reading this it is so unbeleiveable that you find yourself reminding yourself that this is non fiction. It is about fishing which I found turned off a lot of my friends that read it, but if you are willing to bring a respect to this book you will find that though you don't understand all of what he is writing about, you still are in awe of the difficulty. Fishing is probably on
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting book, but some technical detail inaccurate.
Review: Mr. Junger has some minor flaws in his technical details. Otherwise, the book is a good read.In describing the National Weather Services origins he states that the Commerce Department oversees aviation and interstate trucking. The Department of Transportation, and its aviation branch, The Federal Aviation Administration, word have a problem with the reassignment of responsibilities. Further on, in the same section, he states that the information relayed back from weather balloons is done by theodolite. Unfortunately, a theodolite is a device similar to a surveyors transit to measure horizontal and vertical angles. Mr. Junger, possibly, is confusing a theodolite with a radiosonde. The book is interesting reading. I am having a hard time putting it down. The mixture of the story with the historical facts is well done.
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Summary: this book was the most doringest book i have ever read
Review: I hated this book I kept waiting for the story to start. I had no interest in all that history. If I wanted a history lesson I would have read a history booik!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: I didn't think I would like this book because I don't usually read non-fiction for pleasure. But I got sucked into this book in the very beginning. I learned a lot about swordfishing, storms, drowning, and rescue. This book was a page-turner; the fact that it was based on a true story made it even more engrossing.
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Summary: Working at sea under Heavy Weather...
Review: I never have been at sea but through your story you brought me a glimpse of the shocking danger of being at sea during a bad storm. Along with the descriptions of what makes dangerous storms, you show how weather on the ocean affects all sailors and relatives of those who make their living floating on the ocean... Enjoyed it and will read it again! Good book Mr. Junger! Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: Beware!
Review: Horrible book straight ahead! No coherent structure exists for this "story". Down, down your hard-earned money goes!
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Summary: For anybody who loves open water boating
Review: Awesome book. The author usues very vivid and believable descriptions of the action. Even though he wasn't there in full, he knows his stuff and did his homework. I love all of the sub plots outside of the main fishing boat. He also describes the plight of the Atlantic swordfish better than any environmentalist! A book for the generations and one of my all time favorites!
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: Anyone who has spent even minimal time on the water should not miss reading this riveting account of the "real" storm of the century. Having run a commercial offshore fishing vessel for eight years, I was at first intrigued by a brief interview with the author on C-SPAN. I immediately obtained a copy and began reading out of curiosity, but with a bit of skepticism. I admit to being overly critical of so-called experts who claim to be knowledgeable on subjects with which I've had personal experience. But in this case, Junger impressed me as someone who had done his research very well. I gained new insight into the subject from his detailed descriptions of weather, sea conditions, and the physics of marine architecture. Don't get turned off by the seemingly boring subjects just mentioned. The author combines the mechanics of such phenomena with the human drama unfolding in the lives of Capt. Billy Tyne and five crew members of the Andrea Gail. From the dockside bars of Gloucester, MA to the Flemish Cap on the Grand Banks, you are thrust into the typical routine of a swordfish longline fisherman. The ultimate high rollers of commercial fleets, these men make the week-long trip to the fishing grounds and work with little sleep under tough conditions for the next two weeks. Every decision made can mean the difference between a big paycheck or giving up a month of your life for little or nothing if you have a "broker." From the captain's perspective, all of the risks and trade-offs are constantly evaluated and change almost hourly. No computer program could come close to processing all of this information in a way that the experienced blue water fisherman is forced to. In the case of the Andrea Gail, she just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Junger puts the reader inside the mind of the boat captain, revealing how the forces of nature, economics, and human behavior combine to turn this October voyage into a tragic disaster. I could not put this book down until I finished it. You have to keep reminding yourself that you're reading non-fiction, and to those not familiar with commercial fishing it will certainly open a whole new world of understanding and amazement about a vanishing way of life.
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