Rating: 
Summary: over-rated
Review: When I read critic quotes that used words like "riveting, mesmerizing, thrilling" and so on, I thought I might be getting a book that I could liken to Krakauer's, "Into Thin Air," or something, but absolutely not! I would use none of those words to describe this book. I felt as if the author was having to fill pages with all sorts of technological data, old stories, and so forth because there was so very little of a story to tell. I think this book may very well be worthwhile to those who are vastly interested in the subject matter; for me, though it was just dull.
Rating: 
Summary: An amazing story cluttered with unnecessary details
Review: Junger provides an amazing amount of detail about the fishing industry, its practices, and the perilous voyages men undertake to reap the rewards of hauling back a major catch. However, just when Junger has you "hooked" and intrigued by the force of 100 foot swells and the possible demise of the crew, he falls back into bombarding you with frivolous character details. Also, Junger's fragmented, informal writing style makes what would otherwise be a weekend read, an arduous task.
Rating: 
Summary: A gripping tale of the sea!
Review: I read this book over a weekend, and could hardly put it down! Sometimes the author gets too over descriptive, and side-tracks on the main point, but overall, this is truly a good book for someone who likes the suspense when survival skills are put to the test!
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely fascinating! A real life thriller.
Review: This book was given to me by a friend and I had no idea it was a best seller. Junger's writing ability was top notch all the way through the story. This book will make you think twice before getting on another boat. This is a book of personal trajedy and I recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Chilling reality of terror at sea
Review: I very rarely finish reading a book I start reading. I usually lose interest after the first couple of chapters. This was not the case with "the Perfect Storm". For the first time, I understand what it is like, not to be able to put a book down. I felt as if I were aboard "the Andrea Gail". This book was not only riveting, it also provided me with a dose of reality of it truley would be like to be a commercial fisherman. This was absolutely the best book I have ever read!
Rating:
Summary: Promising, but flounders
Review: I was initially drawn in by this book and the first third was all that had been promised by glowing reviews. However, as I continued to read, the book was dragged down by repetition and technicalities that were so distracting that I never actually finished it. I guess my main problem with it was that the author kept telling the same story over and over, whether it be the tale of a different ship sinking or a retelling of the situation of the protagonist ship. Disappointing when all is said and done.
Rating:
Summary: A through account of a commercial fishing boat lost at sea.
Review: This book provides an accurate history of commercial fishing in a small Massachusetts town. Before you finish, you will have a understanding of longline fishing, basics of commercial fishing boat construction theory, how weather is formed at sea, the training of sea rescue personnel, and the process of drowning. All this and the human stories of each crew member of a fishing boat that was lost at sea. Included are the thought processes of various seapeople trying to guide boats in severe weather conditions. The weather situations will astound you. For those who enjoyed "Into Thin Air", and "Into the Wild", this will be an enjoyable and informative read.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Storm is a masterpiece of description.
Review: The Perfect Storm completely reeled me in and didn't let go until the very last page. It's a masterpiece in the art of description that overwhelms you to a point where you have to remind yourself to breathe. If you like to read, you'll love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Jumbled, but interesting
Review: I lost track of time, I'm pretty sure several of the events occur more or less at the same time, or nearer together than one thinks. The author sprinkles the text with dates, so presumably one can piece it together. It does not, however, flow.He mixes up technical material with narrative, which is nifty if you dig technical stuff. Since I do, I enjoyed it. I skimmed through the previous reviews -- and they're all correct. If you can't cope with a jumbled, technical style, you'll hate it. If you can, then you'll either like it for technical insights, or for the more or less exciting man-vs-nature tale(s), or both. It does feel like it was forcibly fluffed up from a much shorter work. The stuffing material used is good stuff, though. Definitely NOT _Endurance_ or _Grey_Seas_Under_.
Rating:
Summary: Great book, with minor reservations.
Review: This is a great read, with the following reservations: In the beginning, so much attention is given to the characters on one fishing boat, that it at first appears the book is solely about them. Junger gives us a great insight into the lives of fishermen, especially those on the 'Andrea Gail', but just as we have become attached, expecting to spend the rest of the book in their company, we are whisked away to other things, and the book doesn't really return to these characters until the very end. It is, as he says, more a description of the storm, and how several different parties fare in the catastrophic weather. (In that respect this book is an unqualified success.) We want to know more about the 'Andrea Gail's' crew, but Junger's reluctance to fictionalise anything, while giving the story more credit, hurts the book in that he simply runs out of things to write about. So instead he goes into a very informative account of how storms form, boats sink etc. This is necessary, and helps paint a better understanding of the chaos. However, while Junger himself draws attention to his lack of referencing, he could have provided a couple of graphs or charts to illustrate his point. I found I had to read some paragraphs twice to grasp exactly what he was talking about. On the whole though, this is a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially if you're considering a life at sea...
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