The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

by Thomas E. Moorhead

Peter L. Waters has just finished his first year of law school at the University of Michigan. With the help of Jamie, Peter's bride-to-be, he lands a great summer job aboard the Great Lakes freighter the Edmund Fitzgerald. Determined to give his future bride the wedding of her dreams, Peter decides to skip the fall semester at law school to work aboard the ship. If all goes well, the bonus he'll earn will pay for their wedding and launch their new life in style. The decision will cost him his life. Based on the actual sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which occurred on November 10, 1975, the last days and hours of the crew members-including the captain, first mate, cook, a father-and-son engine room team, a lawyer-hating deckhand, and Peter-are imagined in this work of contemporary fiction based on a tragic reality in Michigan's history. The Edmund Fitzgerald slipped below the waves that fateful November night in 1975, and her story remains one of great sorrow and mystery.

108 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2011

Reviews

[Susan]

A good reimagining of the last days and hours of what the men on the doomed freighter might have gone through, but some of the writing was honestly kind of cheesy.

[Buddy]

characters in the book are fictional, including the captain. book does portray life on a ship and rough weather . good book on Edmund Fitzgerald. Easy read

[Daniel]

Fictional account of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

I found the writing and dialog to be weak
and cheesy. Even though it's a short novel at 218 pages, I found the pace slow.

[Anastasia Tuckness]

Peter L. Waters has just finished his first year of law school at the University of Michigan. With the help of Jamie, Peter's bride-to-be, he lands a great summer job aboard the Great Lakes freighter the "Edmund Fitzgerald." Determined to give his future bride the wedding of her dreams, Peter decides to skip the fall semester at law school to work aboard the ship. If all goes well, the bonus he'll earn will pay for their wedding and launch their new life in style. The decision will cost him his life. Based on the actual sinking of the "Edmund Fitzgerald, " which occurred on November 10, 1975, the last days and hours of the crew members-including the captain, first mate, cook, a father-and-son engine room team, a lawyer-hating deckhand, and Peter-are imagined in this work of contemporary fiction based on a tragic reality in Michigan's history. The "Edmund Fitzgerald" slipped below the waves that fateful November night in 1975, and her story remains one of great sorrow and mystery.

[Luciano Elementi]

I did not know of this intriguing story before finding this book. I enjoyed learning of the investigation and of the contradictions. At the end you may be left with formulating your own plausible theory in fact. Amazes me the culture of these transports, nonetheless the increase of the load-line. Clear, descriptive and well explained, with a clear summary for implementing prevention strategies on future endeavours.

[LeAnne]

Growing up in Michigan I've always known about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. It was interesting to read the details beyond the song and the legend. There are probably better books about the tragedy but Moorhead has studied the wreck intensively and includes every theory of the unsolved mystery. The maps and pictures add a lot to the story.