Rating: 
Summary: Heavy on the technicals
Review: I found this work to be more-often-than-not confusing. I had a difficult time nailing all of the different elements of this novel down. I was unsure as to the time and place the different events were happening. The meteorological and oceanic and sea-vessel science made the book drag, and many ideas were developed for too long when they had no relevance to the story (Good writing can have as much science and irrelevant side-bars as it wants because it makes them transparent to the reader). Now, the power and fury of nature unleashed is interesting. So is the story of human survival against insurmountable odds. There is no question that the storyline is very engaging, but the writing sort of gets in the way.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Technical
Review: This would have been an interesting story, if the author had stuck to the main story and not gone off into several different directions, and I really don't care to know about every little detail of how a ship is run. I wanted a story, not a fishing manual!
Rating: 
Summary: Unfocused
Review: I read this book on a flight from the U.S. to Europe to avoid watching some silly Julia Roberts movie. Too bad I have trouble sleeping on airplanes. This book has its interesting moments, but generally the author seems unaware of where he wants to put his emphasis. Initially, it starts out as the story of the crew of a fishing boat that gets caught in this killer storm in the north Atlantic. But Junger lacked enough material and, I think, insight to make the crew's plight and then disappearance compelling (I got the impression that he was trying to recreate the feel of Krakauer's "Into the Wild"). That's why his story line eventually fades into the background as he starts to recount some amazing rescues at sea during the same storm, which are generally more interesting than the book's central theme. Also, the text suffers from some often tedious explanations of things like wind classifications, which aren't uninteresting in and of themselves, but Junger fails to smoothly integrate such items into his narrative. This story of "the perfect storm" could have been very gripping, if only the author knew how to approach it.
Rating: 
Summary: Storm Still Brewing
Review: Have you ever been to the ocean for a day and found that the sound of the waves is still playing in your ears the next day? After reading this book, I found the sound and substance of the story still playing in my mind for days. Junger paints these fishermen in a journalistic style that elicits your sympathy without begging for it. By the time the storm hits, I cared about these people, these boats. The historical background added dimension to their plight. I nearly gasped audibly at the cataclysmic power of the sea as viewed through this author's words. The rescue efforts of the Coast Guard were heroic--though not all involved can take credit for that--and I had new respect for those who make their living from the sea. It's hard to imagine that Hollywood's attempt to capture these same emotions will succeed; I fear this true story will be dipped into manufactured sentimentalism. If, by chance, they rise above the usual cheap thrills, I'll be first in line to see the film. But my own mental images, as inspired by Junger's writing, are sure to overshadow the silver screen.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect Storm
Review: You had better pack a lunch when you sit down with this one. Fish is not recomended. Sebastian Junger tells a tale of the sea and puts you right in the action. He paints a portrait of the fishermans life at sea with a master's brush. The story does not leave you when you put down the book, it stays with you and you will find yourself thinking of Billy and his crew and all the people in that dangerous vocation while you are safely at work in office or factory. Anyone that wants to feel some adrenaline flowing should give this book a read.
Rating:
Summary: Boring!
Review: I looked very forward to reading this book. I loved Into Thin Air and was told to read Perfect Storm. I read the many positive reviews for this book in the papers and magazines. And yet, despite all the hype, and now new hype for the film, I found the book boring. I had such high expectations for this book and I was disappointed. Yes, a tragic story, but in my opinion a very boring book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read!
Review: Sebastian Junger paints a descriptive and vivid picture of the doomed voyage of the Andrea Gail, a swordfish boat that went down on the Grand Banks in the "Perfect Storm" of October 1991. The book humanizes the people involved and describes fishing industry which I did not know much about until I read the book. Emphasising the storm though, Mr. Junger also includes technical and informational materials that made the saga very real. Also included are related stories of other mariners in trouble because of the storm and the rescue efforts that were made by the Coast Guard and Air National Guard to save them. I could not put this book down. Excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: A Breathtaking Read
Review: Though Junger's writing style is at some times rather raw, he paints a vivid picture of the horrific conditions the men on board the Andria Gail faced. I could hear the scream of the 120+ mile an hour winds thru the rigging and I could feel the boat being hammered by the 100 foot waves. The raw power of the storm "that the combined nuclear arsenals of the United States and the former Soviet Union" could not keep going for a day was brought back to life on every page of Junger's The Perfect Storm. How anyone could have faced those conditions is a mystery to me. Men like Dave Moore and Dave Ruvola risked their lives to save the lives of complete strangers. In the most horrible conditions, the men that endured the "perfect storm" shined thru the greatest.
Rating:
Summary: A wild and terrible ride...
Review: (Warning, my review contains plot spoiler info, don't read it if you don't want to know the end.) I spent almost every summer of my life on the Eastern Seaboard, and have seen first-hand how the sea can be merciless and cruel one day, and calm and peaceful the next. I had a friend who worked on a fishing boat out of Wanchese, NC (who is now deceased) and can well believe the tale told in this book, based on what I've heard and seen. Junger tells the stories of the lives of the men who disappeared during that fateful storm, and gives us insight as to what it might have been like to live those lives and die that kind of death. My only quibble is that his writing, despite the subject, seems a bit dry and removed in spots, this is due, no doubt, to his striving for accuracy and realism. Despite that, this book is a roller coaster ride, one I won't forget, and which captures the benign malevolence of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting Drama in the "Into Thin Air" Mode
Review: I read this book almost immediately after "Into Thin Air" and was immediately taken by the similarities. Again, I found myself asking why anyone would risk such a potentially hideous death. Of course, there is a huge difference between rough hewn fisherman trying to eek out a living and the bored noveau rich out looking for a thrill. Junger builds the suspense very well and his first hand description of drowning is absolutely riveting. As with Krakauer's book, this is great non-fiction that reads like an adventure story.
| 
