Rating: 
Summary: Not the perfect book, but not bad.
Review: For all its structural shortcomings, the book effectively conveys a feeling of the power of nature, the dangers faced by fishermen, and how it is that vessels can disappear without trace. A better book that deals with ships disappearing on the high seas is Alan Villiers's "Posted Missing," now out-of-print but available from booksellers at modest prices.
Rating: 
Summary: Mesmerizing
Review: I usually don't read this type of book. With that said, let me also say that I picked up this book and didn't put it down until I finished the last word. This is not a fictionalized account of what the last moments on the Andrea Gail were like during that horrible 1991 storm. Don't read this expecting huge dramatic moments, overblown sensationalized heroics or a tragic love story. Granted, heroism, romance and drama are certainly involved in this tragic tale of real people facing real events. But what Junger manages to do is educate those of us who are bound to the land about the rigors, dangers and pleasures of those who work in the fishing industry. He weaves in some history of the industry, the fishing waters and of the crew of the A.G. themselves. He also provides some very detailed meteorological information along with specifics about marine behavior and tidal patterns. While reading this book, I would often close my eyes and try to imagine what it would be like to stand onboard facing a sheer wall of deadly water. Or to make the decision to risk my life to save someone else. The disapperance of the Andrea Gail is the focal point of the novel, but Junger also writes about the various rescue efforts taking place at sea during the worst storm in recorded history. Many people lost their lives, many others barely escaped death. This book brings all that to life. I give this book 5 stars because it is very rare for a true-to-life account to touch me and hold my attention for so long. Knowing the grim outcome of these events did not diminish the book's impact.
Rating:
Summary: Exercise In Terror
Review: This work of non-fiction had me in it's grasp from beginning to end. A lover of the sea, I learned more from these words about the sea, the people who work on them, and how fragile life really is for them. The writing is crisp and to the point. It never lets up in its relentless pursuit of cold hard facts. A worthy non-fiction novel.
Rating:
Summary: Plunge In
Review: The Perfect Storm is more than just Into Thin Air at sea; it's a meticulously researched effort and, Junger says, "as complete an account as possible of something that can never be fully known." At times Junger may get too bogged down in details. He's so interested in the subject, he finds it hard to part with any of the facts he's gleaned. If you enjoyed Into Thin Air, however, you'll certainly enjoy plunging into The Perfect Storm.
Rating:
Summary: Compared to this book--
Review: the movie is a puff-piece!. This riviting account of a true disaster and the men who perished on the Andrea Gail is like a transfusion of pure salt water. It takes the reader into the wheelhouse with a knowledge of ships, the Sea, and the Physics of Gravity vs Bouyancy in the midst of Chaos. It makes us, just for a minute, a "regular" at the Crows Nest, and we truly know these people and mourn their loss. Read the book, then see the movie!
Rating:
Summary: The perfect storm -The truth
Review: This is the best book after Hemingway's " Old man and the sea" about the life of a fisherman , the Sea and the boats. The hard working , jurnalizam finaly made the the product which can put the writer on pedestal of us which plow the ocean for a living . This is the first to book not using the words telling the truth about particular happening. God bless Writer , god bless crew of Andrea Gail and they'r family's and loved ones. All of us who sail for a living been there , but do not talk about , to our loved ones can sleap without the worry's. Once again THANK YOU
Rating:
Summary: harrowing, informative
Review: For me this is the best kind of book, one that tells a good tale and at the same time informs the reader. The story of the foundering of the Andrea Gail is pretty well known by now, but what Junger also does in this book is explain the nuts and bolts of how ships are lost at sea--- how waves crush them, break them apart, pitchpole them, downflood them and sink them. The description of the physiology of drowning was worth the price of the book for me.I agree with the reviewers who complained about structural problems in the narrative. The book needed also needed more references. But this will not prevent you from enjoying this great book. If the book reads more like a collection of magazine articles, just shrug and accept it as that. The articles themselves are excellent. Linda Greenlaw's book The Hungry Ocean is a good companion to The Perfect Storm. Greenlaw's book details a more normal swordfishing expedition, with funny stories and descriptions of day-to-day living on the sea.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Description Of The Perfect Storm
Review: There's something innately magnetic about the life and death struggle of humans in the extremes of Mother Nature particularly if it occurs in the open ocean. As the movie Perfect Storm approaches its openning, I decided to re-read the book by Sebastian Junger. My purpose was two-fold: 1) to re-familiarize myself with the heart wrenching story of the forces of nature and the real-life characters who valiantly fought for their lives and the loved ones left behind; and 2) to develop a foundation from which I can judge how well the movie captures the brilliance of Junger's speculation of what happened in that October 1991, especially around midnight on October 28 "when the storm was at its height off Sable Island". The movie will have to be a work of cinemagraphic excellence if it is to approach how well the book described the time leading up to the storm; the wind, waves, and effect on the boats and their crews; and the aftermath of friends receiving the news and the lack of closure for them and the mournful sorrow for those who've "disappeared off the face of the earth". Simply put, in my humble opinion, this book is the standard from which all similar books describing mans' struggle with the fury unleashed by Mother Nature should be judged.
Rating:
Summary: Phew! It's a good ride.
Review: If you are at all a fan of INTO THE WILD/THIN AIR-type adventures (or maritime adventure) I most certainly recommend this. Occasionally it does get bogged down in too much background information for my taste (sometimes too technical), but usually these digressions (like on the mechanics of drowning) prove useful and/or interesting. But most of all the appeal of the book for me is the tragic story of this crew of fisherman. The author does a good job fleshing them out as individuals and bringing the reader into their unfamiliar world.
Rating:
Summary: This is NOT a "chick book"!
Review: But it's not strictly a "guy book," either. It IS a terrific read -- the quintessential summer book: mass market paperback (i.e., easy to tote) and compelling story (i.e., difficult to put down). Elsewhere, I've talked about being "ruined by books," and I confess to being partly ruined by The Perfect Storm. Trailers for the film moved me to pick it up. (I've avoided the book for two years, thinking it was too "bestseller" for my tastes.) The story of the Andrea Gail crew, their fellow fishermen, their friends and family, and the most compelling character in the book -- the sea itself -- drew me in and has not yet released its hold on me. Don't miss the vicarious thrill, terror, and wonder that Perfect Storm inspires. And pick it up before the movie. Let the film complement the mental pictures your mind conjures as you read, not dominate them.
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