The Gales of November by John U. Bacon

THE GALES OF NOVEMBER by John U. Bacon delivers “The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald” as well as numerous facts about piloting ships on the Great Lakes. I found it fascinating to learn how much more dangerous it was to navigate the lakes and their weather as opposed to sailing on the open oceans. Bacon has written multiple best sellers on a variety of fields (e.g., sports, business, health, and history). In this case, he has spent numerous hours interviewing and researching events regarding the 1975 loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a long, narrow ship (729 feet long and 75 feet wide) designed to navigate locks while simultaneously being able to carry tons of ore around the industrial Midwest. In addition to information and personal details about crew members and their families, Bacon also provides plenty of background about the famous ballad which Gordon Lightfoot wrote and performed. THE GALES OF NOVEMBER received a starred review from Kirkus (“superb education in geography, seamanship, and history.... A gripping account of a maritime disaster.”) and the Wall Street Journal review said of this story “never has it been told better.”