Rating: 
Summary: Please read the Author's Note
Review: The Edmund Fitzgerald, immortalized in song by Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot, was, at the time, the largest vessel to sail on the Great Lakes. At over 750 feet long, it was nearly as large as a World War II era battleship. The thing that made the "Fitz" so special was her large cargo capacity; she could carry well over twenty thousand tons of cargo in her massive holds. However, these holds might have ultimately led to her demise on a stormy night in November, 1975.The Great lakes are famous for their storms and gales, but in early November, 1975, a storm of immense strength bore down on Lake Superior and unleased its vengance on the ships that dared sail on the lake. The storm was born in the southwestern United States, and as it moved slowly northward, it gathered tremendous amounts of moisture. Its warm winds, when coupled with the north's cooler air, made a cauldron of swirling winds, sleet, and snow. The winds whipped as much as one hundred miles per hour and made waves as high as thirty feet. While this storm was intensifying, the "Fitz" set out on its trip across Superior. Another ship, the Arthur Anderson, was travelling in the same direction as the Fitzgerald and they kept in contact by radio. Soon, the rolling seas were slamming into the Fitz, and she began to take on water. Some water managed to leak in around the hatch covers, but, without radar to assist them, the Fitz was forced to rely upon charts from the U.S. and Canada to map a course across Superior. Unfortunately, the charts weren't completely accurate, and the Fitz's course sent her directly over a submurged shoal, which punched holes in the hull, allowing more water to enter the ship. The ship began to list and the pumps were unable to keep up with the amount of water pouring in. Finally, a huge wave hit the side of the ship, driving the bow deep into the lake, and instead of popping back up, the bow kept on going down, taking the rest of the ship along. Twenty nine men died in the span of a few minutes as the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald came to rest in 530 feet of water at the bottom of Lake Superior. This book gives an excellent narrative about the loss of the Fitzgerald and life on the Great Lakes in general. The reader also gets a glimpse into the lives of each crewman aboard, as well as some other memorable shipwrecks that occurred earlier on the Great Lakes. I recommend this book very highly. Maritime readers and adventure fans alike will surely enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: An Exciting Tale of the Great Lakes
Review: The Edmund Fitzgerald, immortalized in song by Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot, was, at the time, the largest vessel to sail on the Great Lakes. At over 750 feet long, it was nearly as large as a World War II era battleship. The thing that made the "Fitz" so special was her large cargo capacity; she could carry well over twenty thousand tons of cargo in her massive holds. However, these holds might have ultimately led to her demise on a stormy night in November, 1975. The Great lakes are famous for their storms and gales, but in early November, 1975, a storm of immense strength bore down on Lake Superior and unleased its vengance on the ships that dared sail on the lake. The storm was born in the southwestern United States, and as it moved slowly northward, it gathered tremendous amounts of moisture. Its warm winds, when coupled with the north's cooler air, made a cauldron of swirling winds, sleet, and snow. The winds whipped as much as one hundred miles per hour and made waves as high as thirty feet. While this storm was intensifying, the "Fitz" set out on its trip across Superior. Another ship, the Arthur Anderson, was travelling in the same direction as the Fitzgerald and they kept in contact by radio. Soon, the rolling seas were slamming into the Fitz, and she began to take on water. Some water managed to leak in around the hatch covers, but, without radar to assist them, the Fitz was forced to rely upon charts from the U.S. and Canada to map a course across Superior. Unfortunately, the charts weren't completely accurate, and the Fitz's course sent her directly over a submurged shoal, which punched holes in the hull, allowing more water to enter the ship. The ship began to list and the pumps were unable to keep up with the amount of water pouring in. Finally, a huge wave hit the side of the ship, driving the bow deep into the lake, and instead of popping back up, the bow kept on going down, taking the rest of the ship along. Twenty nine men died in the span of a few minutes as the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald came to rest in 530 feet of water at the bottom of Lake Superior. This book gives an excellent narrative about the loss of the Fitzgerald and life on the Great Lakes in general. The reader also gets a glimpse into the lives of each crewman aboard, as well as some other memorable shipwrecks that occurred earlier on the Great Lakes. I recommend this book very highly. Maritime readers and adventure fans alike will surely enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Hemming's Voyage to Oblivion
Review: The Gales of November was purchased on the strength of the information I could access through the Amazon pages and online discussions I held at Encylopedia Titanica. It was a purchase well made. As the Edmund Fitzgerald crosses Lake Superiror we are given background into the running of these kind of ships and one by one the names of the 29 are given lives as Mr Hemming shares the story of their backgrounds. As events worsen to the terrifying and rapid conclusion I am made to identify with these men which makes those few minutes even worse. Mr Hemming resorts to informed artistic licence to give us asense of what may have taken place, and to my thinking he does it well. Some may not like this style which is also used in the film and book Perfect Storm but it is necessary if we are to create a narrative of the events that led up to the sinking. I understand that a film is being considered. If so It will make frightful viewing especially for anyone who makes the living on the sea. Thank you Mr Hemming, Gordon Lightfoot, Amazon and all who made this book possible.
Rating:
Summary: A good first book for this subject
Review: This is a great book about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you have never read a book on the Fitz this is a great start. The author does a great job of introducing you to the crew and what life is like sailing on the Great Lakes. He takes several of the crew and introduces you to their personality and their history. This helps you to develope feelings for the crew member as they sail on the Lakes. Hemming also does a good job of presenting the facts of the sinking and helps you to understand what the last several hours were like on the Fitzgerald. The book is very inclusive when it comes to describing the factors that lead to the Fitz's eventual demise. The only complaint that I have about the book is that Hemming described vividly the crews last actions immediately prior to the sinking when no further contact was made with any other ships. Since nobody knows exactly what happen during this period of time the author may have created a scinario to keep the book real. He accomplishes this but it may compromise the facts. All in all I learned a lot about the story and I think most readers will too.
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but read like a soap opera.
Review: While it was an entertaining book, it read more like a soap opera than a serious attempt to explain the circumstances of the sinking. I found it difficult to interpret where the facts ended and the author's interpretation began. The book presents a clear and plausible view of what precipitated the wreck, passing over the shoals. Would have liked more time on this, rather than the attempt to develop the characters on the ship which was superficial at best. Can't compare it to other books on the Edmund Fitzgerald, as it is the first one I've read on the subject. Would have liked more factual information and less human interest stories.
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