The Perfect Storm

Rating:
Summary: Fantastically researched and hauntingly written
Review: Sebastian Junger puts you right where you don't want be in this reconstruction of the storm that no-one could believe had happened. For a first time novelist it is a superb effort and an absolute must for anyone remotely interested in fishing, or the oceans.

Rating:
Summary: A Watery Snoozefest
Review: Following a trip to the top of Everest in "Into Thin Air," I immediately plunged right into "Perfect Storm," naively expecting the same kind of drama. How wrong I was. Like many other reviewers listed here, I found the author's annoying attention to technical detail to be very distracting from the story at hand. And many times, I forgot which boat I was on, who owned it and why we were being asked to care about it. All in all, a major disappointment. Better luck next time.

Rating:
Summary: fascinating & engrossing reading-a real page turner
Review: The author manages to give an intimate look into the lives of the men that perished & the people who were involved with them. The book is filled with interesting & little-known facts about weather, professional fishing & rescues @ sea. I couldn't put it down & have given the book to several people; all of whom have been as impressed as I.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful, exciting story!
Review: I cannot believe that a book about a storm could be so riveting! I could not put this book down. I did not expect to even like it, much less love it as much as I did. I felt like I knew the characters, and surprisingly, understood most of the meteorologic discussion. I will recommend this book to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent investigative reporting, research
Review: Junger--a journalist--paints an engrossing and vivid picture of a subject he freely admits knowing little about (as do most reporters first setting out to cover a fresh story). Kudos to him for tackeling a huge fact-finding task involving commercial fishing, meterology, boating history, and geography! And by combining this vivid research with a grounded supposition of the crew's fate, he put me too on that sinking boat and in that downed helo.

Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: Get through the first couple of chapters with the excellent background information and perfect stage setting....then hold on!

Rating:
Summary: SCARY, INTERESTING, MAKES YOU THINK
Review: I ENJOYED THE BOOK, BUT THERE WAS NO WAY IT COULD live up to it's hype.

Rating:
Summary: I woke up in a sweat thinking I was aboard the doomed ship!!
Review: Superb sea story! The backround, technical detail and history make this a real treat to someone with any fantasy of seagoing life. Junger exquisitely captures the life of the modern day swordfisherman; the boat, the towns, the bars and the relationships. The tragedy is horrifying and mind-capturing. A must read for anyone who loves the sea...and it's bound to make a land lover of you!

Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Page-Turner!
Review: As someone who's always been interested in the main elements in this book (storms, oceanography, and yes - fishing!), I thoroughly loved this book. However, the author did more than just explain the technical aspects, writing about the true young men aboard the Andrea Gail and their families with compassion. Sebastian Junger, using primarily a journalistic style, manages to draw emotion, in addition to vividly sketching in the reader's mind the ominous scene out in open sea. After reading this book, you will never forget the Andrea Gail, nor her captain or crew, nor the Perfect Storm, itself.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific summer read.
Review: This book was a welcome respite from the 100-degree Arizona summer. Of course, an ice cube could've done the same thing, but the book lasted longer. It is though, a page-turner. Takes a weather event and turns it into an exciting narrative. My only disappointment--the book desperately needs better maps, charts, or pictures.