About the author:
\nJohn U. Bacon has authored fourteen books \;on sports\, busi ness\, and history\, the last seven of which are critically acclaimed nati onal bestsellers\, including five New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Ann Arbor and Northern Michigan with his wife and son.
\nIn \;The Gales of November\, award-winning jou rnalist John U. Bacon presents the definitive account of the Edmund Fitzge rald disaster\, drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families\, fr iends\, and former crewmates of those lost. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America&rsquo\;s economic boom\, the uncomm on lives the sailors led\, the sinking&rsquo\;s most likely causes\, and t he heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind&mdash\;&ldquo\;the wives\ , the sons\, and the daughters&rdquo\; as Gordon Lightfoot sang in his unf orgettable ballad.
\nAt the height of America&rsquo\;s postwar boom\ , no region was more vital to the nation&rsquo\;s economic strength than t he Great Lakes. It was the beating heart of the global economy&mdash\;poss essing all the power and prestige that Silicon Valley enjoys today. This i ndustrial dominance depended on Great Lakes freighters getting iron ore fr om the shores of Lake Superior to the factories in Chicago\, Detroit\, and Cleveland. \;
\nFew endeavors have bound time so mercilessly to money as Great Lakes shipping did at its peak\, and no vessel had been mo re perfectly designed to maximize both than the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald. A t 75 feet wide and 729 feet long\, the Fitzgerald was at the time of her l aunch the largest ship on the lakes\, and she repeatedly broke her own rec ords for the largest loads\, the fastest runs\, and the biggest season hau ls throughout her career. She was a champion heavyweight\, sprinter\, and workhorse\, all in one. \;
\nBut on November 10\, 1975\, when th e &ldquo\;storm of the century&rdquo\; threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 5 0-foot waves on Lake Superior\, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place\, at the worst possible time. When she sank\, she took all 29 men onboard down with her\, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.
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