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Summary: completely terrifying
Review: I decided to read "The Perfect Storm" as my final required book in 10th grade. I wasn't disappointed. This book is by far one of the most relentless books I have ever read. Sebastian Junger is able to include vast amounts of information on everything related to boats and the sea. Although a bit technical at times, the book never seems to drag, which is quite possibly its greatest achievement.
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Summary: Absolutely engrossing
Review: This book was amazing -- I bought in at South Station, Boston on my commute home -- if my stop wasn't the last one I would've missed it. An excellent combination of narrative, technical, and documentary. Get it!
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Summary: Awesome. I'm planning to visit Gloucester this winter.
Review: Wonderfully written. On par with tales of Byrd, Anmundsen, Hillary and Shackelton. Evokes the timeless sense of the sea and mashes it with the currency of technology. I've read this book 10 times in 6 months and twice it has been at a single sitting (each time during a Nor'Easter blowing through Central PA). Order it, order it now.
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Summary: Excellent and insightful tale of men and women at sea
Review: You won't regret going on this thrilling and wild ride to a place most of us will never experience. I have lived on Long Island all of my life and have ventured out into the Atlantic on fishing trips but never in the type of conditions (thank goodness) that are described so well in this book. I especially found the heart stopping description of the Air National Guard rescue at sea enthralling and very accurate. Having heard descriptions of various rescues and searches from my brother in law who is an air national guardsman (flys in c-130's) based at Suffolk Airbase, I found Mr. Junger's account facinating and quite realistic. I highly recommend this well researched and thrilling book to anyone who wants to experience high adventure at sea but doesn't want to get thier feet wet.
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Summary: Riveting, terrifying, educational.
Review: Sebastian Junger has pieced together the facts of this case meticulously, allowing readers to understand the tragedy of the Andrea Gail from the perspectives of many different people. The result is a fascinating and terrifying tale of death at sea. Interwoven with the account of the deadly storm are facts about deep-sea fishing, meteorology, and maritime history that will stay with me a long time. (I never knew that the distress call "Mayday!" derived from the French "M'aidez! (Help me!)".) I couldn't put the book down. Parts reminded me of one of my favorite films, Captains Courageous, that portrays vividly the dangers faced by captains of the early 19th century.
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Summary: Fascinating reading for a lover of the sea.
Review: I first became interested in the book by just the front cover, knowing it would be riveting. At first I found it slow and a little difficult to keep my attention. About midway through I found myself in a state of illusion were I felt the cold grip of the ocean water on my skin and the terror of being trapped and drowning. Jungers portrayal of the ocean in the state of rage and his narrative of what it is to drown made my own heart pound in my chest as if I were gasping for air. I admit that I did put it down for a while because I became bored of to much meterological information. I felt it got away from the story and left me forgetting what had previously taken place. All in all an excellent book by the rookie author.
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Summary: Remarkable book - terrifying story
Review: I enjoyed the book immensely, as a reader of action/adventure books and as a pleasure craft sailor.I was perplexed by seeming contradictions in the segment about Ray Leonard, owner of the yacht Satori. The abandonment of his vessel did not seem consistant with his background and experience. Satori was recovered by Mr. Leonard, beached and intact, with personal possessions still on the deck where they sat at the time of abandonment END
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Summary: A riveting account of men battling the sea.
Review: A great story that not only showed the human interaction with mother nature, but the technical workings of the sword fleet. I really was interested in the storm and how it came to be and how powerfull mother nature can be.
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Summary: WOW!
Review: This was a great book! My grandfather was a fisherman, my dad's a fisherman, my uncles are commercial clammers - this book hit pretty close to home. My father read it in 4 days, I read it in 2 days, my mom, husband, brother and 2 uncles read it. I don't know where it is now. It's just being passed from one person to the other. It sure makes you respect the sea and the men who work out there in a whole new light.
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Summary: Completely compelling account of a recent marine disaster,
Review: The sense of impending disaster is always present throughout the start of this always absorbing chronicle of a modern-day marine catastrophe. The high expectations generated by both the title of the book and the gathering storm are never disappointed. The author, through careful and one imagines difficult research, brings all of Gloucester, Mass. to life, its buildings, its history and its present day population. Thus, we are all but crew ourselves as the Andrea Gail sets sail on her doomed voyage. Techies will not be disappointed with the wealth of meteorological detail throughout the journalistic narrative (present tense throughout brings a powerful sense of immediacy). While the first part of the story centers on the Andrea Gail and concludes with the trawler's death (the chapter detailing the physiology of the crew's demise is both chilling and almost desperately moving),it opens up to encompass everyone affected by this 100-year storm. I found this book truly unputdownable - thank God I read it on a long and otherwise tedious plane ride; the family would have called me to dinner in vain.
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