Rating: 
Summary: Great Subject; Well Written
Review: I read this book just before reading Bruce Knecht's version of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart race titled: The Proving Ground. I think Fatal Storm is a better book. It is focused on the facts and personalities that really mattered; and is written in a straight forward style. He does not try and create drama where there is none, nor does he give inordinant attention to flamboyant, prominent people who were not really at the center of the race tragedy. He may have omitted details of interpersonal tension and questions of competency within race teams (such as the Sword of Orion) but he might have been making a prudent judgment call in doing so. (While Bruce Knecht is very direct in describing intra-team problems and discord, one suspects he is blowing tenuous facts out of proportion to create drama.) My one criticism is not unique: the book is organized first by time frame, then by yacht. It's difficult to follow as there is a fair amount of information about other boats between leaving the discussion of one boat, then picking it up again.
Rating:
Summary: Great Subject; Well Written
Review: I read this book just before reading Bruce Knecht's version of the 1998 Sydney-Hobart race titled: The Proving Ground. I think Fatal Storm is a better book. It is focused on the facts and personalities that really mattered; and is written in a straight forward style. He does not try and create drama where there is none, nor does he give inordinant attention to flamboyant, prominent people who were not really at the center of the race tragedy. He may have omitted details of interpersonal tension and questions of competency within race teams (such as the Sword of Orion) but he might have been making a prudent judgment call in doing so. (While Bruce Knecht is very direct in describing intra-team problems and discord, one suspects he is blowing tenuous facts out of proportion to create drama.) My one criticism is not unique: the book is organized first by time frame, then by yacht. It's difficult to follow as there is a fair amount of information about other boats between leaving the discussion of one boat, then picking it up again.
Rating:
Summary: Clip on your lifeline!
Review: If you've ever wondered what it's really like to be inside the cabin of a sailboat that has just been flipped by an 80-foot wave and 100 mph winds, read Fatal Storm. Mundle's sailing experience and descriptive prose made this fateful race come alive for me. Long after I had put the book down from a record three-hour reading session, my world was still rocking, I still felt the wind and rain in my face, and I found myself glancing behind, waiting for the next rogue wave to slam me down one more time. Anyone even remotely interested or connected to the world of sailing should not miss this spellbinding tale. Most important, you will remember its important lessons when you leave for an offshore cruise or race of your own.
Rating:
Summary: More drama in one book than all the Patrick O'Brien series.
Review: Rob Mundle gets to the very heart of his subject, the confined quarters of a sailboat in horrendous sea conditions. He's been there. He puts you there so effectively in his vivid accounts of these stricken yachts that you come away from reading the book, thanking the good Lord that you the reader are still alive...having survived the storm. A must read for anyone going to sea or building a boat to sail offshore! Mundle gives you more drama in one book than you get in the entire Patrick O'Brien series.
Rating: 
Summary: Very informative!!
Review: The book was very informative, filled with a lot of details, brought from various points of view (amateur sailors, Search and rescue personnel, meteorology staff etc.)However, I felt that the sequence of the various chapters can be improved. It is very distracting when you read a story about a crew that is abandoning ship into the liferafts and all of a sudden you stop. This is especially hard when the story is a known one that previously circulated through media and among sailing enthusiasts in the marine industry. Knowing that something went wrong with those liferafts and that people lost lives, it was very distracting to stop reading at the "abandon ship" point and continue with other chapters about some other matters. (This is very strong in the case of the chapters "Winston Churchill 1" & "Winston Churchill 2"). Other than the confusing sequence of going back and fourth among the various events, I felt that the writer did an excellent job describing everything in details. It gives the reader a feeling of almost participating in the race, being in danger and being involved in the rescue.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: THIS IS A FANTASTIC TRUE STORY THAT SHOULD BE READ BY ANYONE WHO SAILS OFFSHORE
Rating:
Summary: Stormy, Stormy Night.
Review: This is simply a superb book. Its narrative force practically places you on board a number of the yachts as they head toward Hobart. It is both well researched and written, being based on many interviews with race participants, and does not skimp on the necessary factual information. The text is also well supported by an amazing group of photographs. Those who have read The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger will find this book irresistable. For those who have not, I suggest you buy both!
Rating:
Summary: Fast, furious and informative. READ THIS BOOK!
Review: When I decided to read this book, I actually started with another book on the subject recommended by Sports Illustrated. Based on Amazon reviewers I selected this one and wasn't disappointed. Mundle attempts to show the personal side of the individuals as well as the intense struggle on each boat and helicopter. This is a spellbinding story which he did a good job of relaying. I learned about sailing but more importantly, I learned what it felt like to confront your worst nightmare come true. This is a great subject correctly described by the author and as a bonus, the pictures in the book are good also. Off-coast sailing? Not for me after this book.
Rating:
Summary: Fast, furious and informative. READ THIS BOOK!
Review: When I decided to read this book, I actually started with another book on the subject recommended by Sports Illustrated. Based on Amazon reviewers I selected this one and wasn't disappointed. Mundle attempts to show the personal side of the individuals as well as the intense struggle on each boat and helicopter. This is a spellbinding story which he did a good job of relaying. I learned about sailing but more importantly, I learned what it felt like to confront your worst nightmare come true. This is a great subject correctly described by the author and as a bonus, the pictures in the book are good also. Off-coast sailing? Not for me after this book.
Rating:
Summary: Clip on your lifeline!
Review: While I was amazed by the story of the sailors and rescuers, I was disappointed by the presentation of the material. I wasn't emotionally attached to any of the people because the individual accounts were sporadically placed. In addition, there were so many people and yachts crammed into the book, I felt I needed a flow chart to keep anyone straight. On a final note, I feel those with limited or no knowledge of yachting will struggle with the technical terms. I have no prior knowledge of yachting, and I don't feel I walked away having learned anything. I believe the author assumed an audience with a high level of nautical understanding, but it was marketed as a adventure/survival story.
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