The Gales of November

Reviews / Votes

"The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald' has been told and retold by authors and bards. But never has it been told better than by Mr. Bacon in this colorful and compelling book.... In 'The Gales of November,' he blends the talents of a narrative historian with the skills of a journalist, in an account that covers the economics of the Great Lakes, the evolution of mining technology and the mechanics of canal locks. It also touches on poignant personal details about the crewmen of the Edmund Fitzgerald and their families. He even takes readers behind the music, describing how and why Lightfoot came to record his song.... A strength of 'The Gales of November' is the way Mr. Bacon weaves in the stories of the crewmen who perished when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. Dead men tell no tales, but their loved ones do. Mr. Bacon tracked them down and listened." -- John J. Miller - Wall Street Journal "An absorbing Perfect Storm-esque literary narrative." -- Christopher Borelli - Chicago Tribune "An absorbing read that answers the questions most readers will have . . . . Bacon has given us a superior look into an unforgettable story." -- Kevin Duchschere - Minnesota Star Tribune "An engaging, thoroughly detailed account of both the tragedy and America's postwar economic boom with the Great Lakes at its center." -- Hailey Eber, New York Post, "Exciting New Books to Read this Fall" "[A] superb education in geography, seamanship, and history....Bacon writes in arresting prose....Since no crewman survived, details of the disaster are spotty, but Bacon makes the most of them, delivering biographies of crewmen, their duties, descriptions of the storm, increasingly fraught messages from the Fitzgerald before they ceased, interviews with victims' families, and a discussion of the lessons learned. The author makes the Fitzgerald the centerpiece of a broad account of Great Lakes shipping, the careers and daily lives of the crews-and the industries, cities, and bars that feed them-and tales of other sinkings. A gripping account of a maritime disaster." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review "An exciting and heartbreaking narrative that relies heavily on interviews with relatives and friends of the 29 lost Edmund Fitzgerald crew members.... A lifelong Michigander, Bacon beautifully describes the gritty world of the Iron Range ore-mining districts and the Great Lakes ship-ping industry. His writing is most absorbing when he recreates the lives of the 29 victims, from the admired captain to the newest rookie. But the tour de force is his gripping hour-by-hour narrative of the wreck, enriched by inter-views with men who had served previously on the Fitzgerald - or were on other ships in the same horrendous storm.... A definitive accounting that may be the last book that can draw on direct contemporary observations of this colossal tragedy." -- Bookpage, starred review "Stop what you're doing and listen again (you've probably heard it before) to Gordon Lightfoot's magnificent ballad, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." It's beautiful and bittersweet and it tells the story of one of America's most famous and haunting shipwrecks. Now that you've fallen back in love with the song, now that you're wondering about the details of this mysterious shipwreck: here is a brilliant new book that tells the tale. The Gales of November is the book the song was waiting for. It's full of fascinating details about the Great Lakes, but it's also full of stories-of sailors and captains, of childhood sweethearts, and of Gordon Lightfoot himself, and the birth of his famous song." -- Susan Cain, author of #1 New York Times bestsellers Quiet and Bittersweet, and host of "The Quiet Life" on Substack "Here is a work of spectral beauty destined to be a classic. Readers of Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm, Erik Larsen's Dead Wake, and Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea will love this deeply reported tale from our vast inland ocean. With Bacon's graceful and poignant retelling, the saga of the Edmund Fitzgerald now takes its rightful place among the world's greatest legends of shipwrecks and tempestuous seas." -- Hampton Sides, New York Times best-selling author of The Wide Wide Sea and In the Kingdom of Ice "John Bacon has done it again! This is another riveting narrative that puts facts on a still mesmerizing legend. But this is more than getting the details right. Bacon has distilled the essence of the story and rendered a huge monument to those lost and a great gift to the rest of us." -- Ken Burns, filmmaker "This book is an epic achievement. Gripping in its reporting, poignant and heartbreaking in its storytelling, with an encyclopedic grasp of history, and a heart-pounding end to a tale already known around the world but revealed here as never before, The Gales of November is a book to be loved by fans of David McCullough, Erik Larson, and Candace Millard. I grew up on Lake Michigan and I learned more than I thought possible. Pick up this book. You won't forget it, and you won't put it down." -- Doug Stanton, #1 New York Times best-selling author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers "John U Bacon's The Gales of November brilliantly documents the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. His scholarly research is deeply impressive, and his knowledge of Great Lakes history is masterful. Highly recommended!" -- Douglas Brinkley, bestselling author of American Moonshot and Cronkite "The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald has long fascinated and frustrated storytellers. Now, at last, the story is deftly and deeply explored by John U. Bacon in this terrific, gripping account." -- Jonathan Eig, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for King: A Life "Bacon builds a vivid, suspenseful lead-up to the tragedy through a forensic accounting of environmental and mechanical factors. He avoids sensationalism, letting the cold realities of nature, steel, and human resilience carry the weight.... It's not just a history lesson. It's an immersive experience, one that leaves you breathless, as if you were aboard the ship yourself." -- Doug Marrin - Sun Times News "Both an emotional tribute to those lost and a gripping narrative of America's most-mourned shipwreck." -- Chris Szepessy - WindCheck "You'll be hooked in the first chapter when Bacon describes the factors that make Great Lakes shipping far more treacherous than ocean shipping. Though the book looks long, Bacon preps you perfectly for the Edmund Fitzgerald's final voyage, when you vicariously experience Lake Superior's fearsome power. I can't imagine a more perfect book about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Cue the song..." -- Kay Wosewick, Boswell Book Company, Milwaukee, WI "This is narrative non-fiction at its very best, and readers who like David Grann, Candice Millard, or Erik Larsen will devour this terrific book. My vote for the non-fiction read of the season!" -- Bill Carl, Adult Book Buyer at An Unlikely Story Bookstore and Cafe "In addition to the expected library, database and museum research, Bacon interviewed family members; other sailors, including some who had served on the Fitz; port workers, scientists, bartenders, servers and other people who helped him understand and communicate what the life of a Great Lakes sailor was like. ... Beyond merely recapping the details of the Edmund Fitzgerald's final voyage, he wants readers to feel and understand the attractions and perils of a Great Lakes sailor's life." -- Jim Higgins - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "This is a wonderful book, perfect for the reader who's interested in maritime history, a fan of shipwrecks, or who simply wants to learn more about what exactly Gordon Lightfoot was singing about to begin with." -- Katie Gill, The Clarion Ledger (Jackson Mississippi)