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The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
The Perfect Storm A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Author: Sebastian Junger
The phenomenal bestseller, in a specially priced hardcover with movie-art bellyband to accompany the mahor motion picture to be released June 30, 2000 and starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Diane Lane, and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. "Drifting down on swimmers is standard rescue procedure, but the seas are so violent that...  more » It was the storm of the century, boasting waves over one hundred feet high--a tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm." When it struck in October 1991, there was virtually no warning. "She's comm' on, boys, and she's comm' on strong, radioed Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail off the coast of Nova Scotia, and soon afterward the boat and its crew of six disappeared without a trace. In a narrative taut with the fury of the elements, Sebastian Junger takes us deep into the heart of the storm, depicting with vivid detail the courage, terror, and awe that surface in such a gale. Junger illuminates a world of swordfishermen consumed by the dangerous but lucrative trade of offshore fishing--"a young man's game, a single man's game"--and gives us a glimpse of their lives in the tough fishing port of Gloucester, Massachusetts; he recreates the last moments of the Andrea Gail crew and recounts the daring high-seas rescues that made heroes of some and victims of others; and he weaves together the history of the fishing industry, the science of storms, and the candid accounts of the people whose lives the storm touched. The Perfect Storm is a real-life thriller that leaves us with the taste of salt air on our tongues and a breathless sense of what it feels like to be caught, helpless, in the grip of a force of nature beyond our understanding or control. We know on the strength of this stark and compelling journey into the dark heart of nature, what it feels like to drown.
Info icon
ISBN-13: 9780393050325
ISBN-10: 0393050327
Publication Date: 1997
Pages: 226
Edition: Film Tie-in Ed
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 28

4 stars, based on 28 ratings
Publisher: W. W. Norton Company
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

DameEdna avatar reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 149 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Riveting, frightening...it will linger in your mind for a very long time. Junger is a terrific writer, and is able to make even scientific explanations (about super-storms, drowning, weather situations) exciting. Whether you have seen the movie or not, this is a highly recommended read.
WyomingAnne avatar reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 9 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
This well written book is not only a harrowing true story of men against the sea, but also taught me many interesting things about the dangers of commercial fishing which I found fascinating. I was not only gripped by the main events of the storm itself, but I was also interested in the human side of the relationships between wives, parents, girlfriends and the fisherman who would go to sea, maybe never to return. I was amazed at the risks that the rescue teams took, the National Guardsmen Swimmers, and Pararescue Jumpers are truely heros. As you read you understand the construction of the boat, the elements of the storm, decisions made, and how all of these may have contributed to the final outcome. The book goes much farther than the movie, and is a learning experience, as well as a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The movie, which showed unknown events as fact, and left out much of fascinating information found in the book, does not do justice to The Perfect Storm.
reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 112 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
This was a quick read for me, i enjoyed very much.If you are a fan of the Discovery channel series " The Deadliest Catch" you will enjoy this book!!!
Marthatori avatar reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 33 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
A true story of men against the sea. Semi-fictitious novelization of a shipwreck.
reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 26 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Great read.
Read All 97 Book Reviews of "The Perfect Storm A True Story of Men Against the Sea"

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reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 4 more book reviews
Waaaaaaaaaaaay better than the movie. The book allows you to get to know more characters, not all of whom die. Really interesting read.
EllieW avatar reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 31 more book reviews
This is a harrowing account of man versus nature at it's most terrifying. A riveting book.
reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 68 more book reviews
It made a great move... it's even a better book!
krisann avatar reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 76 more book reviews
This is a riveting read about the downing of the Andrea Gail. Junger explains the dangers of fishing given extreme and not so extreme weather conditions. Gives the reader a greater appreciation for seaman who choose this way of life. Added appreciation for the Coast Guard and other agencies that provide rescue efforts for any size vessel traveling the open seas.
reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 5 more book reviews
I saw the movie before I read the book and because I thought the movie was so awful I almost didn't read it.
The book is FABULOUS!! It grabs you early on and doesn't let go until the last page. Even though I already knew how it was going to end I just couldn't put the book down.
reviewed The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea on + 57 more book reviews
This book is up there with 'In Harm's Way' and 'Into Thin Air.' Riveting, an intriguing picture of the life of a fisherman, and the stunning, horrific choices on one fine day that lead to disaster. You won't be able to put it down. One of my all time favorites.


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