Rating: 
Summary: Pefect Storm, Not so Pefect Book
Review: The Pefect Storm is the story of a great nor'easter, that took the lives of many. The story follows the lives of the people that work in the North Atlantic that were affected by the storm. Throughout the book different crews are followed, including the Andrea Gail, a sword fish boat, and the Tamaroa, a coast guard boat. Before the storm hits however, Junger sets the tone of the area. Fishermen risk there lives out on the open seas for months, only to come home for five or six days. This leads them to live life to the "fullest" those five days. They spend money and live wild. The book starts out with the Andrea Gail and her crew. They set out to sea and are about to head home after a month of fishing, when a giant storm strikes.The storm started out as a Low pressure system that came off the coast. However conditions were just right, and a hurricane met with it, and it turned into one of the deadliest storms of the century. The effects of the storm were profound. Boats just disappeared, and heroic rescues were numerous. Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm was a great disappointment in the way it was written, however heroism was shown throughout the book.
The heroism of the rescue workers was shown by how they saved many people, despite the risky missions they took. They risked themselves to save others. A good example of this was during a rescue that the Tamaroa was involved in. They had to save some National Guard Pararescue Jumpers, and placed themselves in risk. "It was a hardest decision I've ever had to make, to put my people out there and rescue that crew..." (254) This quote shows just how much heroism was shown by just one ship. They risked themselves to save others. Just that fact that the PJs risked themselves to go out and ended up in the water themselves shows this altruistic behavior. Another example of heroism was when the Tamaroa sent a crew out on a avon, a small boat, to save another crew from the horrific storm. Junger describes just how bad the conditions were at this point. He said " .. no one has done it in conditions like this before. No one has even seen conditions like this before."(201) Despite there lack of knowledge of what happens in such violent weather conditions the crew set out to save the crew of the Satori. These acts of selflessness show the true heroism that the storm uncovered.
Despite the show of heroism, the format in which the book was written was a little distracting. Junger's lack of knowledge of what truly happen out on the high sea contributed to this, causing him to wander of topic numerous times. I was disappointed by this lack of focus on the topic. True heroism is shown through this book by the crew of the Tamaroa, but despite this, the book itself didn't live up to the hype surrounding it.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Snooze
Review: The Perfect Storm is a real life story, retelling the "storm of the century" that takes place in 1991. The book shows rescuers and ship members becoming heroes because they don't give up no matter how hard their task seems. This book also shows these people put their own lives in jeopardy so they can save others in peril. But although the book portrays many admirable heroes it is also quite a slow and boring read.
For the rescuers and crew members doing their persistence makes them heroes. For example, even after the boat the SATORI starts filling with water and most of the crew loses hope at making it through the storm, crew member Karen Stimpson signals for help and continues to try to survive. This shows her strenght and courage against the odds, two important qualities of a hero. Another man who proves himself a hero in A Perfect Storm is John Spillane. After bailing out of his helicopter and falling sixty to seventy feet in the ocean during the storm Spillane is badly injured and still manages to keep himself conscious long enough to swim over to the other men who bailed out of the helicopter. This ordeal takes great strength and willpower on his part which shows that he is a hero. The man who flies that same helicopter, Dave Ruvoli, is also a hero. As the helicopter starts to run out of fuel and the men bail out Dave stays in the helicopter until it has crashed in the water and
then tries to escape even though "his chances of escaping with his door still in place are negligible." He shows that even though the odds are piled against him he is willing to take a chance to save himself and the crew. These incidents all show that the people of this book are fighters and won't give
up no matter what.
In The Perfect Storm the characters put other people before themselves. This is shown first when the SATORI is in danger of sinking. This puts the crew in a position where they could lose their lives. The crew jumps overboard in their survival suits and waits to be rescued. Their rescue swimmer,
Dave Moore, attempts to rescue them while huge waves are crashing overhead. It is a dangerous mission for him and there are no garantees as to whether or not he'll come out alive. To risk his life for people he doesn't even know can only be thought of as an act of heroism. Later in the book the entire
crew of the ship TAMAROA risks their lives for a group of rescuers who's plane ran out of fuel and crashed into the water. Their commander says "I knew there was a chance that I could lose some of my men," if he does the rescue. The fact that the commander decides to go through with the rescue tells the reader that the crew shows bravery and selflessness beyond what anyone can ask of them. The heroes who are in this storm have the strength to save other people before they save themselves.
Even though The Perfect Storm shows heroism at its finest it is not enough to capture the reader's attention. The book is slow paced, focusing more on the history of fishing and how the storm forms than the experiences of the people who were caught in the storm. An example of this is right after the ship ANDREA GAIL sets sail, the writer goes into a passage that tells about the history of fishing from the time Columbus discovered the New World all the way up to present day. This passage
has nothing to do with the current events of the ANDREA GAIL and the passage fails to catch the reader's interest. On the contrary it makes one want to skip over it to get on with the rest of the story. Unfortunately this useless information continues for another few pages until one is thoroughly bored
with the book. Another reason this book fails to grasp the reader's attention is because the it goes into too much detail over trivial things. This is shown when the ANDREA GAIL has been at sea for a few weeks. The book, for no apparent reason starts describing every nook and cranny of the ship. This explanation goes on for pages with the reader quite confused as to why the author is writing down the information in such detail. It does not add anything to the story besides pages. Therefore, overall, it is not a worthwhile read.
The Perfect Storm is the perfect example of heroism at its best. It shows real people risking their lives for other people and trying their hardest to save themselves and others even when, under the circumstances, it seems impossible. However, due to the book being overstuffed with trivial facts
and descriptions the book feels painfully long to read. The great acts of heroism at the end of the book cannot compansate for the rest of it. If one wants to research the history of fishing in New England or learn exactly what the inside of the ANDREA GAIL looked like, then read The Perfect Storm. If one is
not interested in these areas then The Perfect Storm is far from one's perfect read.
Rating: 
Summary: Exceptionally Written
Review: Exceptionally well written, this book is a page turner. Heart racing with sweaty palms the reader will unfold a castrophy at sea in great detail. Junger, in my opinion, has done an excellent job in researching, compiling and presenting the necessary data in a manner that is enjoyable and easily understandable. Having no knowledge of sailing, I at no time felt uninformed or confused about the material being presented. The story is gripping from the first chapter and is highly recommended. If this book is enjoyed by the reader than strong consideration should be given to "Into Thin Air."
Rating:
Summary: Captivating story
Review: The Perfect Storm is a very well researched and written book. The author personally interviewed many people and visited actual sites to put together his story which is basically a true account with some conjecture and possible theories thrown in. As a side note: the movie was a huge disappointment.
I read this book with an interesting perspective, my father is a master fisherman and a boat captain who invited me along on a long line trip a couple of years ago. I was one of a crew of three and got paid a "three quarters share" as I was inexperienced. We fished out of Hawaii for tuna, which is somewhat different than the sword fishing that takes place in the Atlantic, but the methods and dangers of long lining are similar.
The Perfect Storm captures the thoughts and feelings of the crew and the wild behaviors very realistically. My dad has told me many similar stories about crew spending huge amounts of money at bars and on women. The work is brutal, as I can testify from personal experience.
What I didn't go through (Thank God) is any life threatening danger like what was depicted in the the story, but, I was able to feel, or at least have some sympathy, for the characters because the writing was so compelling. I was thoroughly engrossed in all the different story lines woven into this account, the rescue workers, the other boats involved in the storm, the weather watchers, and the friends and family of the lost at sea.I highly recommend this book for any that love adventure, history and tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Different from Movie
Review: If you are looking to get a story like the movie, forget it. There is a lot less "embelishment" than movie. goes more into the science of waves, weather and our deep sea rescue teams. Interesting read. Little slow, but you learn something. Portrays fisherman as drunkards who spend money haphazardly. I would recommend it, but expect a different "feel". Probably more realistic.
Rating: 
Summary: The Perfect Storm, what is it really?
Review: The Perfect Storm- 2 Stars Are you ready to read a book that will take you on a thrill ride and keep you guessing? A book that will keep you in suspense and won't let you figure anything out until it's too late? Well then, this book is not for you.
The Perfect Storm is about six men leaving on a fishing boat to some god- awful place in the middle of nowhere. They get lost in a storm and never make it out.
Now if they were going so far out, why didn't they listen to the weather? And if they had any common sense, they wouldn't have gone straight into the center of the storm.
My opinion of this book is the author could have used less detail and stayed more focused on what was really going on instead of wandering off. Instead of skipping around and adding things in that doesn't go with the story, the author should have left those details out.
This book is for those people who like stories that keep dragging on and never stay on task.
It is a good book for readers around the ages of 15 and up because it uses a wide variety of large and small words. In order to understand the story, you must be able to comprehend what you are reading.
Rating: 
Summary: The perfect storm
Review: The Perfect Storm This is a true story about the adventure of six sword fishermen taking on the perfect storm. This perfect storm is the rare meeting of three weather systems. The author Sebastian Junger, brings the story to life. The Perfect Storm will leave you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing what might happen next. The beginning of the book may keep you from reading on because it is so descriptive, but I strongly encourage you to do so. Sebastian Junger shows how life is as a fisherman as well as a fisherman's wife. He shows the pain loved ones feel when they leave to go out to sea for months at a time. If you are looking for "A white knuckle adventure" according to Newsweek this is the book for you. The New York Times honors it as a bestseller. In 1991 the perfect storm took place off the coast of Nova Scotia. This may be a once in a lifetime event. Sadly the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail were lucky enough to experience it.
Rating:
Summary: Horribly written
Review: After hearing much of the hype about this book, I bought a copy. After reading through almost half of it, I finally gave up and threw it against the wall. The writing was just abominable. I felt myself trying to concentrate on the story just so I could get through it. Slowly I realized that it wasn't worth all the pain. How this is considered a well-written book is beyond me. Don't believe the hype.
Rating:
Summary: THE book of the 90's!!!
Review: Sebastian Junger is one of those very rare writers who can lull you into a trance via a monotone narrative; much like a hypnotist does to their subjects. But, once your under his literary spell, you enter not only the mindset of the author, but the very world in which he is describing for you. Much like in my review of 2010: The Year We Make Contact..... I was once swept away from the safe confines of my living room couch and into the book's subject matter through wonderful and powerful prose. Printed words soon gave way to a very three-dimensional world of sea-spray, 100 ft. boiling waves of water, howling winds, and stranded and capsizing vessles going headlong into the maelstrom. I felt (or appreciated) the fear that Capt. Billy Tyne and the guys must've felt as they plunged into what must've been an aquatic hell on Earth. It seemed as though, at times, that I was actually THERE; often I needed a breather from this book out of sheer excitement (LOL). Hat's off to Sebastian Junger's first book "The Perfect Storm". I just bought his newest book, "Fire"; if it's half as good as this was....whoa!
Rating:
Summary: It reads more like a really long magazine article.
Review: This was a very readable book with a fairly decent (true) story and passable writing. Although it reads more like a really long magazine article, it manages to keep your attention as the real life twists continue page after page. The book also says a lot about the fishing industry, which is quite interesting (for example, swordfish fisherman use 40 mile lines with 1000 hooks on them, very cool.) I do wish there was a little more about the actual storm, but this is definately a seaman book, not a weatherman book.
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