Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Storm
Review: The Perfect Storm
The book The Perfect Storm is a worthwhile story to read because it depicts the hardships of the people caught in a horrible storm. The mariners involved in surviving the storm and Cost Guardsmen saving them are all heroes. There are many times in the book when the readers are clinging to the words on the page and can't tear themselves from the book. The men and women in the book should be considered heroes because, they were loyal, they risked their lives for each other, and they never gave up.
"When Linda Greenlaw arrives on the fishing grounds Billy tells her that he disgusted and I going to need more fuel if they want to make any money at all. Sword boasts lean each other supplies all the time on the high seas but Billy has a particular reputation for pushing things to the limit." (p72) This quote shows how mariners always try to help each other. Linda may know that Billy might be push his ship and crew two far but knows that he would do the same for her if she was in his position. When the author wrote "The first time Chris Cotter saw the Crow's Nest she swore she'd never go in; it just look two far down a road she just didn't want to be on...one day Mary Ann dragged her through the heavy wooden door and introduced her around. It was a fine place; people bought drinks for each other like they said hello...and before Chris Knew it she was a regular." (p9) he want to illustrate for the reader that fishermen were not the rough and mean and once you met them you were befriended. Throughout the book, fishermen help each other through tough decisions and complicated situations as if they were brothers.
The storm that hit off the coast of Nova Scotia put many lives in danger. Risking life-threatening peril Coast Guardsmen and other mariners lead search and rescue missions trying to save the lives of sailors readers may consider doomed. The Coast Guard rescued three people off of the Satori. One of the women rescued may have kept the crew alive by tethering herself two the boat so she wasn't washed away when she was steering while the owner-captain was in his bunk down below. For one man who was somewhat of a legend there were a total of nine aircraft sent out to search for him. Many fishing boats were directed to his last know location into the storm to try to help in the rescue operation. Even when boats where trying to survive out on the rough seas they still made headway towards people who were in danger of dying. This shows that the heroes in this book put others lives before their own.
There were 100-foot waves and winds blowing at 100 miles per hour. There is so much rain in the air that a man could die trying to breath. Sailors would brave these conditions to cover a window or cut an anchor free. The men would never give up and fight with the last of their strength. On a boat captained by Tommy Barrie a Lexan window was blown off and two men had to tie safety lines around themselves and go repair it. The men could have been blown away like kits if the wind caught the boards they were carrying. Another time when a man didn't give up was when there was the rescue of a helicopter crew out of the water. The man had no survival suite and was in cold waters. He barely had any strength to pull himself up a cargo net tossed over the side of a boat to rescue him. When a wave washed him and a crewmate off he didn't stop trying and grabbed the net even though he was close to having hypothermia. His body temperature was 90.4 degrees Fahrenheit. He never gave in to the thought that he would maybe die he just urged his body on as long as he could. Another inspiring part of the story that shows that a sailor will never give up is when a boat is in the storm and has lost all of its steering control. They crew set up cables to manual turn the boat. During all of the chaos of the storm the captain shouted down to the hold and he manually pulled the cables. Even in times of great distress the sailors could devise a plan to steer a boat. The mariners never gave up or lost hope when things looked bad. They kept on trying there hardest to succeed and survive.
The biography The Perfect Storm shows how individuals and groups of people can pull together to help each other and themselves survive in the toughest conditions. The characters depicted in this book always took the chance to help each other. They even put their own lives on the line to save another persons life. One overall thing they did was never lose hope or give up. For these reasons and possibly more the men and women in The Perfect Storm are heroes.
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Summary: The Perfect Storm Book Review by Adam .....
Review: The book The Perfect Storm, written by Sebastian Junger, takes place in the small town of Gloucester on the New England coast of Massachusetts. Most of you are probably familiar with the movie version of this book. Do not be fooled with the entertaining and inspiring aspects the movie has to offer. The book The Perfect Storm is not a worthwhile read because it shows little evidence of heroism.
One of the reasons for this is the fact that the author was not present at any of the events the story depicts. It has to be pretty difficult to write a biography on men you have never met, but if the men you have never met are dead, with little record of exactly how, when, and where the men died, it must be nearly impossible. Sebastian Junger does make a pretty good case to contradict this fact. He gives testimony of the Hannah Boden, the Andrea Gail's sister ship, along with many of the other sword fishing boat testimonies. He jumps back in history to tell of other men who have suffered similar fates. That fate, of course, would be living at sea for a month in the midst of a hurricane. The only difference between those men and the men of the Andrea Gail was those men survived. The author goes on to explain how many of the men who lucked out on the boat became drastically depressed or unlucky. One man who went to a boat in Florida only days before the Andrea Gail left harbor became depressed after he found out that he was the only one who could identify the whole crew. Another man, who walked off the boat only hours before she left harbor, became cursed and went down in another fairly large hurricane the year after. Then finally the author brings in the townspeople. He says how many of the family, friends and just neighborhood drunks had a bad feeling about this run. After all, it was late in the season. But still after all this, Sebastian Junger leaves the reader wondering exactly how, when, and where, the Andrea Gail goes down.
The lack of heroism in The Perfect Storm cannot be completely blamed on the author. The man in focus throughout the book does make some very idiotic calls. Billy Tyne, the captain of the Andrea Gail, must have been a little bit crazy about sword fishing, if he had the guts to go through what was called the storm of the century in a 50 foot long boat. Many things may have led to this, but most likely he had a large amount of fish on board. Billy and the Andrea Gail had had a bad season and were not doing so hot. So, the thought of bringing in the mother load off the Flemish Cap must have peaked his interest, or his level of craziness. Other mistakes that Billy made were things such as not having the necessary safety equipment on board. For instance, no life preservers were said to have been on board, and some of his emergency electronic equipment may have been in the off position. An example of this is a ship's ESIRB. This device, when turned on, is supposed to alert coast guard when a ship is going down. It does this by reacting to water. When the water level reaches to a certain point, the ESIRB sends out a signal to coast guard telling them that the ship will go down in a certain amount of time. The coast guard can then find the ship on radar and go to help them. But for some reason the ESIRB on board the Andrea Gail did not go off. These were some of the mistakes Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail may have made.
Although the book does not portray much heroism, there are some aspects of it in The Perfect Storm. The one main example of heroism is the coast guard. Throughout the book the coast guard consistently sacrifices itself to save other innocent boats out on the water. One particular example of the Coast Guard being heroic is when one helicopter decides to make a controlled ditch after running out of fuel. If he had waited to run out of fuel and just crashed, he would most likely have killed everyone on board. But this would save the lives of the men on board. But while in the water waiting to be rescued the men become separated and must be found or they will die. One can only read the book to find out what happened to them. This is one of the few examples of heroism in the book The Perfect Storm.
Despite its lack of real heroism, the bookThe Perfect Storm proves to be a decent read but not an exciting one. Do not be fooled by the movie which is much more exciting then the book. ...
Rating: 
Summary: Men Against the Sea
Review: "A true story of men against the sea." This is the theme of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, a story of six men who ventured from Gloucester, Massachusetts on a routine sword fishing expedition only to be confronted with a storm unlike any other. Stranded in the North Atlantic, these six men were presented with a battle against nature and against all odds. Without any sailing vessels or aircraft in rescue distance, the crew of the Andrea Gail could only rely on their small fishing boat and themselves. The Perfect Storm is a thrilling true story with magnificent writing, research, and imagery that makes you feel as if you are with the six-man crew on the Andrea Gail. Before writing the novel, Junger did extensive research in many topics relating to weather and fishing. Throughout the novel Junger incorporated excerpts, which further explain different events and situations that are occurring. These excerpts include specific and detailed information about meteorology, weather, oceanography, wave motion, the jet stream, ships, the coast guard, the geography and different prime fishing areas of the North Atlantic, along with fishing information and the interesting history of fishing. No dialogue in the novel was made up due to the fact that Junger wanted the book to be as non-fictional as possible. Junger extensively interviewed survivors of the storm and residents of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The entire book is written with direct quotes, dialogue given by residents of Gloucester, such as radio transmissions and conversations, and quotes from published material such as books on fishing and meteorology that were acquired through Junger's library research. The entire novel is extremely detailed and well written. The novel begins with a fishing tragedy, which occurred in the fishing waters east of Massachusetts in 1896. This is an interesting introduction that ties in and foreshadows the events, which will occur later in the novel. It also introduces the reader to the danger of the sea and the dangerous lives of fisherman. The book then jumps to Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1991 where the characters and setting are introduced. Junger introduces the characters and setting in such a detailed manner that it intrigues the reader to continue reading. "A soft fall rain slips down through the trees and the smell of ocean is so strong it can almost be licked off the air. Trucks rumble along Roger's Street and men in t-shirts stained with fish blood shout to each other from the decks of boats.... beer cans and old pieces of Styrofoam rise and fall and pools of spilled diesel fuel undulate like huge iridescent jellyfish" (Page 3). The story centers on the life of one fisherman in particular. This individual is Bobby Shatford and the entire novel is written about the lives of himself, his family, his friends, and his fellow fisherman. Junger does not only tell the story of Bobby's sword fishing boat, the Andrea Gail, but tells the story of the entire fleet of fishing boats which annually fish on The Grand Banks, The Flemish Cap, and Georges Banks (fishing areas in the North Atlantic) and what these boats experienced during the "perfect" storm. Amazing detail is used to describe the destruction and survival of many different vessels in different parts of the North Atlantic. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger is a worthwhile book to read if you enjoy detail and thrilling adventure. The reader learns a great deal about fishing, the ocean, and weather. The way in which Junger wrote the novel makes the reader gain a new understanding of the life and hardships of real fishermen. Junger uses excellent imagery, which makes the reader feel like he is actually living in Gloucester, Massachusetts and experiencing the life of a fisherman. After reading the descriptions of the characters and their lives the reader feels as if he could be that person and live that person's life. Although every character was interesting and unique, Bobby Shatford or any other main character in the novel probably would not be considered heroic. Although every person who goes out fishing is filled with courage and bravery, the ultimate reason that they are risking their lives is to earn money. There is no other reason that a person would venture out to see for weeks at a time other then to make a decent amount of money. Even though every fisherman feels connected to one another and helps each other out, it does not make them heroic but simply friendly and helpful. However, the Coast Guard and National Guard officers who operate the cutters, helicopters, and airplanes which were described in the novel would definitely be considered heroic due to the fact that everyday they put their lives on the line to help other people. They do not risk their lives for the money, but risk their lives to make a difference and save another person from death. This #1 New York Times Bestseller is an excellent retelling of one of the most devastating storms in history. With his combination of thrilling adventure, history, and explanations of more technical things, Junger satisfies the likes of every type of reader. Junger skillfully balances extensive detail with exhilarating and thrilling adventure scenes. The Perfect Storm is an exciting book, which keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Rating:
Summary: A Sad Story
Review: The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger, is a wonderful book for those that are interested in the history of fishing, but tests the patience of someone that just wants to read a casual book. This story is about the last fishing trip of six men, who were fishing near the Flemish Caps, a location off the fishing charts, during Hurricane Grace.
One things about The Perfect Storm that would test someone's patience is the fact that the author gives too much information. Half of the book is about the history of fishing, the fishing boats, and the people in the story. Only a small portion of the book is actually about the story of the Andrea Gail, the name of the fishing boat that Billy's crew was on. (Billy is the captain of the Andrea Gail.)
Another annoying fact about this book is that it is somewhat unorganized. The author will be talking about something that happened on the deck of the Andrea Gail and then somehow go into a huge explanation on something of the completely opposite topic. For example, Bobby was saying goodbye to Christina just before he left to get on the Andrea Gail and the paragraph after that goes into a discussion about codfish. (Pg. 50) Another example of this is on page 62. It tells you where the Andrea Gail is heading in one paragraph and in the next one it talks about swordfish. One could find this as a nuisance if they just want to read the story about their last fishing onboard the Andrea Gail.
However, there are some good things about this novel. For instance, the way the characters' feelings are described helps you to actually feel the way they feel. That really helps you get into the story. "'And Christina, you know, I'll always love you.' She smiles at him through her tears. 'Yeah, I know,' she says. Bobby kisses her and gets out of the car, still holding hands." (Pg. 50) Another good thing about The Perfect Storm is that, even if you don't realize it, you are gaining knowledge about the sea, how things on a boat work, and what it must have been like on the Andrea Gail in that hurricane. Everything you could possibly imagine about fishing or the sea is in this book: explanations on the layout of several different fishing boats, the history of fishing from long ago, what kinds of food different kinds of fish eat, how to put a fish on a hook, etc. It also teaches you about helping others. When Murph got his hand caught in a hook and dragged overboard, Sully noticed what had happened and and dived in after him, despite their past conflicts. This shows that everyone needs to help everyone else in order to survive.
Despite the long explanations and disorganization, The Perfect Storm is a good book and has a wonderful storyline. However, this is a book mostly directed towards the audience that would like to read about facts, not a casual story, yet it has some interesting parts, like the end, but you'll have to read it to find out what happens!
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Summary: The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Review: The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger is the true story of six men, on the boat, the "Andrea Gail," who go sword fishing at the Grand Banks, which is off the shore of Newfoundland. The men's misfortune is inevitable, as they all have misgivings about the trip, before even boarding the boat. The adventure begins when a hurricane creates a massive storm on the ocean, and meteorologists call it "The Perfect Storm," due to the very rare hundred-foot waves and highly unlikely characteristics of it. The "Andrea Gail" was one of many ships in a fleet, that were seriously damaged and the book tells the tale of the ship in great detail, along with other ships that interacted with the "Andrea Gail," or had the same calamity as they encountered, while telling the stories of the rescue workers and their interactions with the "Andrea Gail" and the other ships. The six members of the "Andrea Gail," are considered heroes. At the beginning of the book the men had serious doubts about getting on the boat and going away for a month, but they ignored they fears and boarded the boat anyway, because they knew that they would never forgive themselves if they hadn't gotten on. The actions of the six men show great bravery and courage. Another example of heroism is when the crew of the "Andrea Gail" knew that their end was almost certain, they continued to work, by keeping the pumps and engine running and stopping the water from flooding the ship, and not crying in the corner, as one man had, when he knew his ship was sinking. The Coast Guard, the Air National Guard, the PJ's, and all the agencies that search for the "Andrea Gail" and other missing ships are heroes. The PJ's endure long painful training to become qualified for their job, which takes courage and physical strength. Towards the end of the story, when the "Andrea Gail" is lost from all contact, the PJ's are the ones who must find the ship. The PJ's endure hardships, such as losing their men, and bailing aircraft at a point, but they continue their strive for a successful search and find. One example is John Spillane, an experienced PJ, had to jump into the Atlantic from a helicopter. Spillane temporarily loses his memory and "fractures three bones in his right arm, one bone in his left leg, four ribs in his chest, ruptures a kidney, and bruises his pancreas." (p.187) But Spillane he is able to swim to his raft, and survive the water. I do not recommend reading this book, The Perfect Storm. Sebastian Junger writes this book as though he writes down things as they come to his mind, and therefore creates an unorganized and confusing piece for the reader. Junger also sidetracks his readers by talking about different aspects of the "fishing world" such as the building of the "Andrea Gail" or the procedures to catching swordfish and Mako sharks. There are too many characters for Junger to focus in depth on and clearly get his point across to us readers. This is a good book to read if one is interested in the art of fishing and boats, but is slow reading and hard to get into and to continue reading. Sebastian Junger has determinedly written a good book but the content is not one of great interest to many. Perhaps if there was not so much "side-tracked" business in the beginning, it could be fascinating, but unfortunately since it is so drawn out at first, the reader isn't able to get into the story, once it gets intriguing. The accounts given in this book are vivid and clearly remembered by many but were not able to be given in an organized fashion to attract readers. I do not recommend "The Perfect Storm" for readers, if looking for a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Storm, eye ceatching, but not enthralling
Review: Like a car running out of gas, The Perfect Storm, never got me revved up. The Perfect Storm is a true story of a six man crew on a doomed commercial sword-fishing exhibition. The book has many facts and stories on how fishing has progressed through the years. However, the book began rather slowly and it took over 100 pages to get my interest flowing. The writing shows incredible detail and careful wordage, but sometimes Sebastian Junger uses his detail ability when it is not really needed. An example of this is near the end of the book, when the author depicts the waves hitting the beach, "Swells march shoreward from the horizon in great, even bands, their white crests streaming sideways in the wind, and their ranks breaking, reforming, and breaking again as they close in on Cape Ann. In the shallows they draw themselves up, hesitate, and then implode against the rocks with a force that seems to shake the entire peninsula. Air trapped inside the grey barrels gets blown out the back walls in geysers higher than the waves themselves." In a few cases it seems he over stressed details in small objects that didn't really matter to me.
I also found it rather depressing that the author's style was one where he got you comfortable with a character just before the character perished. The fact that this book is based on a true story, the author might be limited as to how much action and pleasantness he could blend into the story line. But this also guaranteed that people with similar life-threatening experiences on the high seas with pirates who took farmers as prisoners, might want to read the book. This book is a good book for a reader who likes suspense. At one point, there is an all-out search for the Andrea Gail by the Coast Guard. This was definitely a "nail-biter."
While I would not list this as one of my favorite books, it has definite appeal to those who love a white-knuckle adventure, especially if there is an interest in fishing or marine activities. If you are looking for a happy ending, beware, because unlike Noah's flood, The Perfect Storm does not end in a rainbow.
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Summary: The Perfect Storm: A story of Survival
Review: The book The Perfect Storm, by Sebastian Junger, is a story about a horrendous storm that comes through off the banks of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It is a story of suspense and survival, as fishermen Billy Tyne, Bobby Shatford, Dale Murphy, Bugsy Moran, Sully (Sullivan), and Pierre fight for their lives through the storm while on their boat, the Andrea Gail. They were brave and courageous, but were they heroes? Did they have the same qualities a hero might have?
These men were definitely heroic due to the fact that they braved the raging seas, but their motives and outcome make them more tragic heroes. (someone who has the potential to be a hero, but because of a character flaw, experiences a tragic downfall) They want to quickly get into port because they have a lot of fish in the hold and the ice machine has broken. They don't want the fish to go bad. Also, they want to beat all the other swordfish boats so they will make a huge profit at the market because they are the only ones in port. With this in mind, they head into Gloucester, Mass. The seas are calm, unusually calm. They know there is a storm coming, but pay no attention to it. You may call their motive greed, but they were also trying to support themselves in life. Both ways, it was an ignorant act to go into a storm and risk losing the fish, the boat and possibly even their lives. In the end, they end up with the worst: they lose their lives. "Whether the Andrea Gail rolls, pitch-poles, or gets driven down, she winds up, one way or another, in a position from which she cannot recover... this is known as the zero-moment point-- the point of no return." This is when the crew knows that they are going to die. The last sentence of this chapter concludes, "Tyne, Pierre, Sullivan, Moran, Murphy, and Shatford are dead." This horrible outcome would probably characterize them as tragic heroes. This isn't the end of the book though. The book goes on to tell about real heroes in the Coast Guard.
There are more people out on the sea in the hurricane in addition to the crew of the Andrea Gail. Many of these boats survived, but took less of a blow from the storm. Some of the boats didn't survive, but the people were rescued by the Coast Guard. One crew on a tiny boat called the Mary T. were saved by a rescue swimmer from a helicopter. The rescue swimmer was hooked onto the helicopter and then lowered to the water until he was able to reach the people. He grabbed one person at at time and then they were hoisted up to the helicopter. This was an amazing rescue and very suspenseful. They had tried to do many other things to save these people, and finally were successful. These men, especially the rescue swimmer were definitely heroes. They risked their lives to save three people on a tiny ship. After this story in the book, Junger goes on to write about another rescue that failed. The helicopter that was out during the storm had no chance of saving the people, who, in the end, survived. As they were going back, they ran out of fuel, and the weather became so bad that they couldn't refuel in air. "It [the drogue] has been destroyed by forty-five
minutes of desperate refueling attempts." The pilot, Ruvola, was trying desperately, but fails. They have to abandon the aircraft. Everyone but one makes it. They are later picked up by the Tamaroa, a huge Coast Guard boat. These men were very brave and heroic, for the right reasons, and didn't have a tragic end. (except for one, who is still a hero)
The Perfect Storm was a great book of excitement, adventure, and heroism. Along with this, the book gives you information and background on fishing and the boats. This helps prepare you for the rest of the story. It also tells you about weather and the science of meteorology helping you to understand the hurricane better. The author tells you about how the boat could go down and
what it's like to drown. Part of his reason for doing this is because no one knows what really happened on the Andrea Gail, so he uses information and real life encounters with hurricanes to explain what probably happened. This definitely helps you understand the story. He tells you about the Coast Guard and the training they go through.
This book was full of heroism and information which kept you reading. I would recommend this book, along with the movie, which is very factual to the book. Although the first part of the book is about fallen heroes, the rest leaves you feeling satisfied, as though all those people saved by the Coast Guard and the Coast Guardsmen themselves surviving makes up for the loss. There is so much more that happened in the book that wasn't even mentioned here, so read it for
yourself. Evaluate the characters yourself and decide if you think they were heroes or not.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger
Review: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger The six man crew of the Andrea Grail disappeared during a nor'easter in October of 1991. These six fishermen were heroes to the end. A tragic hero is defined as a character who has potential for greatness, but because of a character flaw, experiences a tragic downfall. The crew of the Andrea Gail could be thought as tragic heroes. Billy Tyne, the captain of the ship, was down on his luck and needed a big load of fish to bring back to Gloucester, Massachusetts and set the market for swordfish. The crew was getting desperate for a big haul and so decided to push farther than they had ever gone before. They wanted to go to the Flemish Cap, which is located very far East, almost to the coast of Newfoundland. Throughout the journey, Billy makes mistakes in navigating and leading his crew, which could be causes for their disappearance. Billy is desperate to get in a good haul and so he takes off late in the season. The Andrea Gail leaves from Gloucester on September 20, 1991 and that is dangerous for sword boats. Because they leave so late in the season, there is a risk for storms. Also, when the wave hits the boat on October 12, it takes too long to resurface, which it shouldn't if it was up to standard. But Billy and the rest of the crew ignore this and continue on. On page 135, it says, "Whatever the reason, Billy changes course sometime before six PM and neglects to tell the rest of the fleet. They assume he's headed straight for Gloucester." This quote is a way of displaying that Billy had the opportunity to be a good leader and ask the rest of the crew what they want to do, but he neglects to tell everyone else. This is the way Billy runs his sword boat. This gives him the chance to be a hero and try to save their lives, but he doesn't for whatever reason, and this makes him a tragic hero. The flaws of Billy Tyne are his pour decision making and his greed. The result of his decisions end up being fatal for the six men on the Andrea Gail, and has a real tragic ending. This book is very interesting in that it doesn't have a normal layout. Since the author wasn't part of the Andrea Gail, he doesn't know exactly what happened. This book gives the reader a background on the fish market and the town of Gloucester, Massachusetts. It really helps to put a perspective on the fisherman in 1991 and why they would think to stay out in dangerous waters. This book also had stories of the Coast Guard, a sail boat, and rescue helicopters during the same storm. This book also describes the background and the families of those lost at sea. This book was a wonderful true story of a tragedy that happens when meteorological phenomena' happen.
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Summary: Everyday Heroes
Review: Fate determines the outcome of every person's life, even the greatest of heroes. The storm that swept the Grand Banks and Georges Bank off the coast of the Northeastern United States, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland was considered by meteorologists to be "the perfect storm". It proved to be a challenge for some mariners, but unfortunately the end for others. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger is a collection of stories of the sailors, para-rescue jumpers, fishermen, such as those aboard the Andrea Gail, and others who were caught in a massive storm in late October, 1991, that was created by the convergence of three separate weather systems. This true story is an impressive tale of nature's ability to create a "perfect storm" that tests man's physical strength, determination, and desire to help others. The story of the struggles of all those caught in the 1991 storm is one to read and remember.
Fishing is a tough task in calm weather and smooth seas, let alone in a storm with 100 foot waves and winds gusting up to 120 mph. Sebastian Junger illustrates the physical abuse a fisherman receives in both situations. As noted in the book The Perfect Storm, fishermen begin work at 5:30 AM when "it's cold and raw, and under their slickers they have sweat shirts, and flannel shirts and thermal tops. Dawn's not for another hour, but they start work as soon as they can see anything." The cold and lack of sleep put real stress on men's bodies as they continue to "haul-back" the mainline (which is hopefully full of swordfish) for many straight hours. This task is a risky one in itself because hooks, or gangions, can catch anything in their path and drag it along, yet it "requires the balance of an ironworker in a sleet storm". One must have coordination to balance in a rocking boat full of water, while also enduring back-breaking labor of unhooking empty hooks or dragging swordfish aboard the boat for many continuous hours; the skills only expert fishermen retain. In only one day, fishermen usually pull 10-20 swordfish aboard, a total weight of about one ton of fish. This daily routine continues for 30 days straight, and takes consistent physical strength and balance. If not careful, a hook being set out can easily catch clothing, a body part, or anything else, and drag it into the dark ocean which causes a whole other battle of strength vs. the ocean. Only young, hardy bodies can withstand a rough life of fishing. As fishermen grow older, the money is no longer worth the physical abuse, and therefore they retire or travel less frequently to the "Grand Banks". This situation is typical for fairly calm weather. If one pictures 100 foot waves and winds reaching 120 mph, a completely new battle against nature is formed.
It takes determination to survive in an unforgiving storm. For example, after a rescue helicopter attempts to rescue some sailors from a boat during the October, 1991 storm, the helicopter must refuel from a tanker plane on the way back to shore. For 45 minutes, they attempt to connect 20-30 times in near zero visibility, which shows pure heart and determination to achieve the task. Later, after having to ditch his helicopter, the pilot remains afloat and conscious even with eight broken bones in his arms, legs, and ribs. He uses his will power to find and swim to his teammates, knowing that safety is in numbers. Such incidents in the open ocean waves during the storm demonstrates a hero's determination to survive.
Another characteristic of heroes that is The Perfect Storm clearly demonstrates is their desire to help others. These heroes risk their lives to rescue others. In the perilous seas, the para-rescue jumpers from the Air National Guard jumped from the helicopters to the monstrous waves below in order to rescue complete strangers. They risked their lives because they believed in their job of saving others. If successfully completed, the families of those rescued will be forever grateful, yet if the mission fails, the tragedy will spread to a greater number of families. The para-rescuers are everyday heroes people often forget about and whose job it is to risk their lives for the safety of others.
The Perfect Storm is an remarkable book of courageous heroes in their battle against the sea, yet Sebastian Junger's documentation of the storm was a slow read at the beginning. The Perfect Storm becomes an exciting, adventurous, page turner, but only after 100 pages of facts. The opening of the book consists of information about every topic related to the sea and sword fishing, such as the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts and the fishing industry, the behavior of fishermen, the characteristics of ships, and the specific location of the ships relative to the upcoming storm. Scientifically, Sebastian Junger describes in great detail the different areas popular for fishing off the coast of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, the formation of storms, and the effects of different sized waves and wind speeds on ships. Also, the author does not take the liberty to attempt to complete any unknown situations in fear of being "inaccurate". There are numerous voids in the story, caused by periods when there was no radio contact with the ships. These holes in the story leave the reader hanging and speculating about what might have happened. Sebastian Junger excels in his descriptive techniques, although he sometimes is too informative about irrelevant events. Because the book is a history instead of a novel, the author sometimes lacks imagination in his storytelling techniques at times when sufficient information is not known. Yet, the information depicted in the beginning of the book is critical in order to completely comprehend the significance of each event later on, such as the situations described above and exhilarating climax at the end of the book. Sebastian Junger's account of the "perfect storm" during October, 1991 in the Northwest Atlantic allows one to have a true understanding of the hardships fishermen and others face, the violence and power of nature, and the courageous deeds of everyday heroes.
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Summary: The not so perfect storm
Review: The Perfect Storm is not a book that describes heroes and that the main characters in the book shouldn't be considered ones. This book is recommended to people who like to read in detail about history of boats, harbors, disasters, weather, and what equipment they use on fishing boats. The book is a slow read and is very technical.
If you compare a Greek hero with the heroes in the book, there would be no comparison. Greek heroes were people who had great strength, not just muscle, but maybe strength in mind or beauty. They could do things that no "normal" being could do. They would use their strength for good or evil. The heroes in the book are supposed to be the men on the ship The Andrea Gail, these men fight Hurricane Grace for as long as possible. This doesn't seem to qualify as hero material.
During the hurricane however, the author describes what the men are doing to survive. He goes into detail about the boat, the rooms, and the supplies that are needed. This isn't the only part he does go into detail. Throughout the entire book is massive amounts of information about equipment, historical boats, captains who own boats, and all different information that is given to you that you don't really need to know.
The only problem is all that information and he didn't know how to end it. The author has good storytelling techniques but didn't end it well. He practically left you hanging because he didn't know what happened in the end. He jumps from the Andrea Gail and its crew to another boat in the storm.
In conclusion, while this book gave a lot of information, it was not an easy reader and it was somewhat hard to follow. All the details about different things, boats, etc., got you off track and didn't seem to flow. Plus, the book wasn't about any heroes or people considered heroes. All in all, this book wouldn't appeal to people who don't have an interest in the details commercial fishing, weather, and history.
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