I'd seen the movie in 2001 or 2002 and so I knew how the story would end but I was curious to know how the author, Sebastian Junger, would present the story of the Andrea Gail when there'd been no survivors. One of the things I really liked was that Junger didn't try to make a fictional accounting of what might have happened. He said straight out he didn't know. Instead, he interviewed people who'd survived the storm, rescuers and people in need of rescue. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about the two ways a person can drown. Reading the accounts of survivors and what happened when the boats were rolled by ginormous rogue waves was hair raising! To balance it out, I enjoyed reading about the area's fishing history and how the industry evolved. The background information was informative, not boring. Most of all, I felt for the loved ones left behind

I began this book late one night after finishing the last book and immediately was swept in. This is not my typical reading faire but I do love any stories of the sea so it still follows suit. The storytelling isn't anything unique, the plot isn't one that hasn't been explored before, but whatever this writer did - it sucked me straight in, tearing apart the book in a little over a day. The story is about 6 fisherman abord the Andrea Gail during the Halloween Gail of 1991. No one survived and no distress calls were ever heard from the ship, making it very hard to come up with the last minutes aboard the ship but the writer does a fairly good job at that and you can almost put yourself on the deck with those men, feeling the rise and fall of the swells and the sheer terror they must have felt seeing 100 + foot waves about to break on the bow. The only criticism is that I feel that the author could have wrote a bit more chronologically (he does bounce a bit) and done more of a back story on the fisherman than just on Bobby. I think it would have filled out the story just enough but the book was quite well without it.

This was an incredible book. Not only was it a story of the Andrea Gail which was totally lost at sea. But it was also the story of other life threatening experiences during this horrendous “Halloween Storm”. Like the 5 men of the American National Guard that had to be rescued from the water during the storm. And the 3 people on board the sailboat that was headed to Bermuda. Junger gave a detailed and very eery description of what it’s like to drown. He also gave the reader a good idea of what the life of a fishing town was like. A very close knit, keep to themselves kind of group. I think he was lucky to get anyone to talk. In a way, I was kind of glad I saw the movie first. I at least had a vision of what it was really like. Even if some of it was speculation. Glad I read this.

"The Perfect Storm" was well written! Junger gave me an understanding of the dangers the inhabitants of Gloucester live and breathe each day. I read the book before I saw the movie and was pleasantly surprised that the movie actually did a very good job in holding true to the book.

Much better than the movie. Compelling and heartbreaking true story.

It might sound cliche, but if you liked the movie, read the book.

Junger pens the complete story, and actually shows the compelling reasons why the crew took the boat out under the conditions as they were. He paints a complete picture of the fisherman's subculture and what went so horribly wrong.

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October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"-a tempest that may happen only once in a century- a nor'easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconceivable levels few people on Earth have ever witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.

over 10 months on the NYT best seller list. A great read, especially if you plan to visit Massachusetts sights! Karina

If you have seen the movie and want to be entertained then this is probably not the book for you. This goes into aspects of the weather, background of the area, and other facts that aren't covered by the movie. Guess you could call it character development for the ocean, weather, and wind that came into making the perfect storm.

October 1991. It was "the perfect storm"- a tempest that may happen only once in a centery- a not' easter created by so rare a combination of factors that it could not have been possibly worse. Creating waves 10 stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcievable levels few people on Earth have ever sitnessed.
few, except the six man crew of the
Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards it's hellish center.

Loved this book. Excellent recollection of events as Sebastian could research them.

Excellent account of a true-life situation. Gripping--kept me turning the pages. It was about "the perfect storm" in the north Atlantic in 1991, and the ships that were affected, and how some ships made it through the storm and how one ship tragically didn't make it.

Gripping read.

a true story of men against the sea. a white -nuckle adventure.

October 1991. It was "the perfect storm" - a tempest that may happen only once in a century - a nor'easter created by so rate a combination of factors that it could not possibly have been worse. Creating waves ten stories high and winds of 120 miles an hour, the storm whipped the sea to inconcievable levels few people on Earth have evr witnessed. Few, except the six-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a commercial fishing boat tragically headed towards its hellish center.

Excellent story based on a real life event. Keeps you on the edge of your seat.

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