I’ve always heard that it’s illegal to yell “fire” in a crowded theater, but I didn’t know where or when it happened — until now. This book is full of a lot of trivia about the Great Lakes, from shipwrecks to shipping, the economy that shaped the cities and ports, and the communities of people who settle around the lakes. But the main focus is, of course, the Edmund Fitzgerald.

From its construction to its crew and cargo, there’s so much to take in. How carefully the ships are built, how challenging the conditions they have to mange, how fraught the lakes can be, there’s a lot to take in. Fortunately the book is written in just the style I prefer, pleasantly conversational, filled with moments of trivia and the stories of people told in an engaging manner without editorializing them or their lives.

Each of the crewmen is given a small chapter that gives weight to the story, because these men — and the ship — are the real focus of this book. The final voyage and loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the how and why of it. And it’s not just text; the author has also put in full color pictures of the ship and the crew who were with her on that final voyage. And it’s not just the voyage, it’s the aftermath of it. How things changed because of the Fitzgerald, both for the families of those left behind but also the safety measures now in place to hopefully prevent the same fate from befalling another ship.

This is a well researched book, well written, and — despite the subject matter — a pleasure to read. It never sensationalizes what happened and keeps the focus on the people involved. Those who died, those who mourn them, those who knew them. There’s even a chapter on Gordon Lightfoot and his song, which I think was very sweet. All in all, this is a good book, and one I’m glad to have read.

If you’re into ships, the Great Lakes, or maritime history, I think you’ll enjoy this book. Thank you so very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

An absolutely INCREDIBLE read! I'm from Toledo and an ancestor helped build the ship, but I never knew many of the specifics. This book was VERY hard to put down and clearly was well-researched. I recommend this to everyone I know with an interest in the Great Lakes...

Thank you to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the ARC.

I was very meh about this for the first 45(ish) percent, which was largely about the Great Lakes and the history of shipping on the lakes in general. I grew up on the Great Lakes, so this might be fascinating new information to some people, but it wasn't for me. That said, once it hit the point where we were really talking about the Edmund Fitzgerald and what happened to it (both what we know and what various people THINK ultimately happened) I was fascinated. I even shed a tear or two at the end, a pretty rare occurence for a nonfiction book for me. I screened this as a potential Christmas gift for a family member who loves all things Great Lakes, and I think it's definitely a winner in that regard.

This book is amazing! Highly readable and informative, delivering a perfect balance of facts and emotion. I will recommend it to everyone I've ever met.

What a masterful work! This book seemingly covers everything there is to know about the way the Edmund Fitzgerald was built, how it operated, who managed the various jobs onboard, and what might have happened to the Fitz on the terrible day the ship went down in Lake Superior. Bacon manages to keep a compelling, suspenseful narrative moving along while he inserts facts and speculations. Not an easy task, but he did it well. I love how he tells readers about those on board and what was at stake for each man as he faced his frightening fate inside the icy heart of the Great Lakes' Storm of the Century. Readers will feel that rolling ship and hold their breath at the impact of impossibly tall and unrelenting waves. You'll feel what it's like to lose all sense of direction and connection. And yet the book adds much more, well past the events of that last journey, going into what's taken place since then for this grim 50-year anniversary. It makes you want to travel there in November to observe the memorial. "The Gales of November" is not just a good story that blends multiple perspectives towards a collective tragedy, it's also a valuable reference book. I'm pleased I was granted the chance to read an ARC.

Apparently I've reached the age where I want to read books about shipwrecks and this book only fed that appetite. John Bacon has a very succinct way of writing that hides the fact that he's going very deep into the subject matter. The book not only paints a vivid picture of the final voyage of the Fitz, but he also presents an intricate and fascinating foray into the history of Great Lake shipping. While some books are laden with technical jargon that only maritime enthusiasts would understand, Bacon makes it easy for the landlubber to follow and grasp the significance of the details he provides about shipping, the ships themselves, and the brave men who are the backbone of the industry. Bacon does a laudaotry job at telling the stories of the men and, just as important, the families who lost their loved ones. With the 50th anniversary of this famous wreck approaching, this thrilling and solemn volume serves as a powerful tribute to those men.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. I’ve always been interested in the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Great Lakes, having lived near Lake Erie for a large part of my life. This book met all my hopes. I loved how it was expanded beyond just the story of the ship and laid out the history of not only shipping on the Great Lakes but of the towns and cities that were part of the story, as well as astounding facts about the volumes of water, loads, ship sizes and more. It was really fascinating and I highly recommend the book.

There's a certain guilt in enjoying books about disasters. Much like true crime, it can often feel like you are a voyeur of human tragedy. However, I think this is only true when what you are reading doesn't respect its subject. For me, if I can talk smartly about the tragedy when I am done then it is no longer about the catastrophe. It is about the people who got caught in the storm and the people who are left behind.

In the case of The Gales of November by John Bacon, it is a superb telling of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald by an author who is enamored with his subject and the people around it. Bacon's narrative is very much a love letter to Great Lakes sailors and their families (with the expected slight exaggerations now and again). Bacon took the time to speak to as many primary sources as possible, including people who were on the Mighty Fitz before its fateful final journey. It makes for a story which is fully immersive and crushingly sad by the end.

I have read other books on the sinking which generally end up being quite short. The ship went down with all hands so much of what we know is some facts and a lot of conjecture. Bacon gets around this by telling the story of Great Lakes shipping and how these bodies of water can be just as deadly (if not more) than the open ocean. The author even spends some time on what I think might be the most overlooked natural disaster in American history, the White Hurricane. Haven't heard of it? Well, now you have another reason to read this book (and David G. Brown's White Hurricane for an even deeper look). This book is much longer than someone may expect because the whole story is not just the sinking. Bacon gets that and the narrative is exceptional because of it.

And yes, Bacon does remember to discuss Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Like the song, I think the families of the Mighty Fitz would heartily approve of this book.

(This book was provided as an advance reader copy by NetGalley and W. W. Norton & Company/Liveright.)

I live an hour from Lake Superior. This year is the 50th anniversary of the great disaster. The story is well researched and full of information. I highly suggest reading it.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I live in the small corner of TikTok that is obsessed with the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The 29 men, the Gordon Lightfoot song, the museum that exists today...it all touches a deep part of my heart. As a student of one of the nation's maritime academies, disasters on the water strike a chord and the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most famous - and most tragic.

This book highlighted all of the important parts of the story and was written in a compelling way that keeps the reader coming back for more, even when you already know all of the high points and how the story unfolds to its end. I've always had a strong desire to visit this area of the U.S. and absorb the history of this event, and that desire has been fueled even more by this book.