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Wrecked: The Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy
Wrecked links the story of America’s most infamous shipwreck to the story of an even larger disaster—the wreck of the American industrial economy. When the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, more was lost than the ship and the twenty-nine lives on board. The disaster was a human tragedy as well as an indictment of the American industrial policies that eventually cost the nation thousands of jobs and marooned hundreds of communities. Written with a passionate yet factually grounded intensity, Wrecked shows that the reasons for the decline of industrial manufacturing in the upper Midwest are linked to why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, and to the legal turmoil that followed for the victims’ families. The book conveys the sense of loss that still is felt by those affected, along with the outrage over the disappearance of manufacturing jobs and the inadequate maintenance and legal maneuvering over liability for the sinking of the ship. What follows is a fascinating critique of what went wrong and why.
221 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 20, 2025
I received a free copy of, Wrecked, by Thomas M Nelson: Jerald Podair, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Edmund Fitzgerald is a boat that sank and killed all aboard in a storm in the midwest in 1975. This book started off good, then west political real fast, I could not finish the book.
December 23, 2025
This book was peer reviewed prior to its publication by Michigan State University Press. The Edmund Fitzgerald was built in 1958 and sunk in 1975. The ballad by Gordon Lightfoot called “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” is a haunting tune that is indelibly etched on the minds of many of the people who were alive in the seventies. For those of us who reside on the Great Lakes, there are also many reminders of the tragedy in museums and landmarks. The 50th anniversary of the catastrophe was in November of this year. (2025)
Nelson and Podair did a great deal of research for this book. Nelson had some amazing interview opportunities with family members. They are still alive with a 50-year buffer from the day that changed them forever. This book explains how the overworking of the ship coupled with lack of proper maintenance inevitably led to this misfortune. That has been helpful for families to learn when some of them thought the twenty-nine victims (potentially) had done something wrong for the sinking to occur. They did not!
The book takes us through the lows and highs of coming to terms with what happened. I especially enjoyed reading about the ship’s bell which was rescued from the deep waters. That bell is used ceremonially by being rung twenty-nine times, one toll to match each victim. Set against the backdrop of recent history, the reader learns about things not immediately thought of. For example, what settlements did family members receive and how did that work?
This is a humane book that is sensitive and seeking truth. My understanding is that other books on the same subject are trying to determine the science around what happened. Naturally, that is interesting and where we begin with our questions. However, this book seeks to pose larger questions of how this event reflected and reflects the American economy. It does an excellent job of asserting that we can and we must do better.
"Examination of our past is never time-wasting. Reverberations from the past provide learning rubrics for living today". Kilroy J. Oldster from DEAD TOAD SCROLLS
Nelson and Podair did a great deal of research for this book. Nelson had some amazing interview opportunities with family members. They are still alive with a 50-year buffer from the day that changed them forever. This book explains how the overworking of the ship coupled with lack of proper maintenance inevitably led to this misfortune. That has been helpful for families to learn when some of them thought the twenty-nine victims (potentially) had done something wrong for the sinking to occur. They did not!
The book takes us through the lows and highs of coming to terms with what happened. I especially enjoyed reading about the ship’s bell which was rescued from the deep waters. That bell is used ceremonially by being rung twenty-nine times, one toll to match each victim. Set against the backdrop of recent history, the reader learns about things not immediately thought of. For example, what settlements did family members receive and how did that work?
This is a humane book that is sensitive and seeking truth. My understanding is that other books on the same subject are trying to determine the science around what happened. Naturally, that is interesting and where we begin with our questions. However, this book seeks to pose larger questions of how this event reflected and reflects the American economy. It does an excellent job of asserting that we can and we must do better.
"Examination of our past is never time-wasting. Reverberations from the past provide learning rubrics for living today". Kilroy J. Oldster from DEAD TOAD SCROLLS
July 14, 2025
After World War II, the United States was the world’s largest shipbuilders. These same shipbuilding companies soon fell victim to overseas competition with cheaper labor, less environmental restrictions, and a US government that no longer subsidized the industry like other countries continued to do. Market share fell and, in a never-ending quest to maintain profit margins, American companies began using shortcuts to remain competitive. Cutting corners caused the quality to plummet, and soon American shipbuilders began shutting doors.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was built in the late 50s and Nelson argues that Great Lakes Engineering Works designed the ship with major flaws, a design that didn’t take into effect the weakening of its structure in an effort to stretch its length to record proportions. Couple this with a severe lack of maintenance over its life, overlooked safety issues, and pushing the ship past its cargo capacity limit and running her longer into the year when Lake Superior storms were their strongest. Its a wonder more ships didn’t go to the bottom.
Nelson does a nice job bringing the economy angle into Wrecked to give it a different look than a simple retelling of the ship’s sinking. There were some interesting facts that I either didn’t know or realized had any bearing on the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I do find it ironic that with all the sonar technology out there, more explorers haven’t used it to help determine the exact cause of the wreck. Maybe there’s more to the coverup conspiracy than meets the eye.
3.5 tons of taconite out of 5
The Edmund Fitzgerald was built in the late 50s and Nelson argues that Great Lakes Engineering Works designed the ship with major flaws, a design that didn’t take into effect the weakening of its structure in an effort to stretch its length to record proportions. Couple this with a severe lack of maintenance over its life, overlooked safety issues, and pushing the ship past its cargo capacity limit and running her longer into the year when Lake Superior storms were their strongest. Its a wonder more ships didn’t go to the bottom.
Nelson does a nice job bringing the economy angle into Wrecked to give it a different look than a simple retelling of the ship’s sinking. There were some interesting facts that I either didn’t know or realized had any bearing on the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald. I do find it ironic that with all the sonar technology out there, more explorers haven’t used it to help determine the exact cause of the wreck. Maybe there’s more to the coverup conspiracy than meets the eye.
3.5 tons of taconite out of 5
July 6, 2025
Thank you to #NetGalley for the DRC of #Wrecked. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
As a child of the midwest in the 70's I grew up hearing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot on the radio. So the wreck has always intrigued me. Details of the wreck are sparse and there is plenty of speculation about what happened and why. This book tackles what was happening in the country (economically & politically) and in the industry (boat building & shipping) that might have led to some of the factors that caused the wreck. Nelson layers in the stories of the surviving families and the divers who have explored the wreck and raised the bell.
This is a thoroughly researched, well-written book, but it's an economic history lesson more than anything.
As a child of the midwest in the 70's I grew up hearing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot on the radio. So the wreck has always intrigued me. Details of the wreck are sparse and there is plenty of speculation about what happened and why. This book tackles what was happening in the country (economically & politically) and in the industry (boat building & shipping) that might have led to some of the factors that caused the wreck. Nelson layers in the stories of the surviving families and the divers who have explored the wreck and raised the bell.
This is a thoroughly researched, well-written book, but it's an economic history lesson more than anything.
November 16, 2025
I rarely give 5 stars, but I’m going to for this book, as I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book zooms just a little bit out of the voyage itself and immerses you in the history and politics of the twentieth century and how it interacts with the shipping industry and then the fateful last trip of the Fitz itself. Nelson does a great job of highlighting the tragedy of it all and personalizing the pain that still remains for the surviving family members. He beats up on both parties with a thorough populist voice. If you’re a snowflake who can’t handle politics, probably not the book about the Fitz for you. But it’s a quick, powerful read if you can.
August 4, 2025
When writing about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the author Thomas Nelson chose a different approach. He focused on the economical, political and national security polices that could have contributed to its sinking. He interviewed the families of the people who perished in this tragic accident and who they were effected by the lost of their loved ones. Nelson highlights some of the steps the government took as well as the international polices of other nations on regulating the shipbuilding business. The United States had chose to deregulate and that contributed to businesses cutting corners to make a quick profit.
While this book was interesting it seemed that it switched back and forth between the focusing on the ship and the political aspects of the narrative. Sometimes I felt lost on which direction he was going in the continuing narrative. Positives are each chapter was focused on a different topic and fleshed it out but I do wished they were arranged better. His writing made difficult topics easy to understand for a general audience. I felt this book was thoroughly researched and gives you something to think about with what is being done and needs to be done in America to enhance or improve our shipbuilding industry because this book has proves some countries are ahead of us.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
While this book was interesting it seemed that it switched back and forth between the focusing on the ship and the political aspects of the narrative. Sometimes I felt lost on which direction he was going in the continuing narrative. Positives are each chapter was focused on a different topic and fleshed it out but I do wished they were arranged better. His writing made difficult topics easy to understand for a general audience. I felt this book was thoroughly researched and gives you something to think about with what is being done and needs to be done in America to enhance or improve our shipbuilding industry because this book has proves some countries are ahead of us.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
June 25, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.
I was super excited to start this one. I’m from Michigan and was expecting this to be a good “work book” to read on the reference desk since I work at an archives focused on the government policies in the years surrounding and including the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Man was I disappointed. This book is all over the place. The subtitle should be “The Family and Community Legacy,” since most of the book focuses on those topics instead of how the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald actually impacted the American economy. The book spans too many years and disparate political topics. Not enough time was spent on the economic thesis of the book to actually learn anything about the impact the sinking had on America during the ‘70s-‘80s.
The most interesting parts were about the night of the accident and the trips taken to to photograph/explore the ship.
Overall, disappointing with some glimmers of interesting tidbits.
I was super excited to start this one. I’m from Michigan and was expecting this to be a good “work book” to read on the reference desk since I work at an archives focused on the government policies in the years surrounding and including the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Man was I disappointed. This book is all over the place. The subtitle should be “The Family and Community Legacy,” since most of the book focuses on those topics instead of how the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald actually impacted the American economy. The book spans too many years and disparate political topics. Not enough time was spent on the economic thesis of the book to actually learn anything about the impact the sinking had on America during the ‘70s-‘80s.
The most interesting parts were about the night of the accident and the trips taken to to photograph/explore the ship.
Overall, disappointing with some glimmers of interesting tidbits.
June 25, 2025
What this book seeks to accomplish is to place the Edmund Fitzgerald in a bigger, more significant historical context than other works have done. from Wrecked by Thomas M. Nelson
We were at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on the shores of Lake Superior shortly after the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald was installed. My husband and I knew well Gordon Lightfoot’s song about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the largest freighters on the Great Lakes, but we were there became our son’s third grade teacher had ignited his interest in Great Lakes shipwrecks. He had read dozens of books, including many about the Ftiz.
Since its sinking on November 20, 1976, people have searched for the cause of the disaster. This book considers a cause beyond storm and wave or human error by those in charge. It considers the broader picture–how neoliberal economics and business’s concern for profit over safety left the Fitz in ill repair, and left the American economy floundering.
I have read several books that trace the fallout of neoliberal economics, and how the loss of union jobs and manufacturing gutted the middle class. This one is specific in its concern while considering the disaster’s place in the greater picture of changing economics since WWII.
Nelson recalls when “not everyone was out for themself, ” when the concern was for “more than profits and stock dividends; there was community and a way of life that fostered an inclusive society where the American dream was within reach for the average American family.” He builds a narrative to explain step by step how economic policy from both sides of the aisle resulted in the death of a strong middle class. And, also harmed shipbuilding in America.
The Fitzgerald was not seaworthy and had been neglected for years. from Wrecked
But there is real heart in the book as well. Nelson interviewed the family members of the twenty-nine crew lost on the wreck. Bodies were discovered on the wreck, and the families fiercely protect it as the final resting place of their loved ones. There was contention over allowing the ship’s bell to be retrieved for the museum.
The book also considers the environmental damage to Lake Superior, including climate change, invasive species, and PCBs, a ‘forever chemical’ that has contaminated water across Michigan and even has been found in the dust in Detroit’s streets. Trump recently rolled back regulations.
“The men of the FItzgerald were heroes,” Nelson ends. They were why America had the steel needed to build the machines that drove industry and farming in America. “We must recognize what shipbuilding means: national and economic security.” He contends that with the political will we can support a reemergence of shipbuilding in America.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
We were at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on the shores of Lake Superior shortly after the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald was installed. My husband and I knew well Gordon Lightfoot’s song about the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the largest freighters on the Great Lakes, but we were there became our son’s third grade teacher had ignited his interest in Great Lakes shipwrecks. He had read dozens of books, including many about the Ftiz.
Since its sinking on November 20, 1976, people have searched for the cause of the disaster. This book considers a cause beyond storm and wave or human error by those in charge. It considers the broader picture–how neoliberal economics and business’s concern for profit over safety left the Fitz in ill repair, and left the American economy floundering.
I have read several books that trace the fallout of neoliberal economics, and how the loss of union jobs and manufacturing gutted the middle class. This one is specific in its concern while considering the disaster’s place in the greater picture of changing economics since WWII.
Nelson recalls when “not everyone was out for themself, ” when the concern was for “more than profits and stock dividends; there was community and a way of life that fostered an inclusive society where the American dream was within reach for the average American family.” He builds a narrative to explain step by step how economic policy from both sides of the aisle resulted in the death of a strong middle class. And, also harmed shipbuilding in America.
The Fitzgerald was not seaworthy and had been neglected for years. from Wrecked
But there is real heart in the book as well. Nelson interviewed the family members of the twenty-nine crew lost on the wreck. Bodies were discovered on the wreck, and the families fiercely protect it as the final resting place of their loved ones. There was contention over allowing the ship’s bell to be retrieved for the museum.
The book also considers the environmental damage to Lake Superior, including climate change, invasive species, and PCBs, a ‘forever chemical’ that has contaminated water across Michigan and even has been found in the dust in Detroit’s streets. Trump recently rolled back regulations.
“The men of the FItzgerald were heroes,” Nelson ends. They were why America had the steel needed to build the machines that drove industry and farming in America. “We must recognize what shipbuilding means: national and economic security.” He contends that with the political will we can support a reemergence of shipbuilding in America.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
June 20, 2025
Wrecked, by Thomas Nelson, is an excellent book that not only looks at the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald but at the aftermath (for both families and shipping more broadly) as well as the accumulation of things that led to the sinking. In other words, the tragedy is placed within both personal and societal contexts.
It would be so much simpler, especially for those who are afraid of looking at the big picture, to say it was just a bad storm and a bit of bad luck. But those were just the two most obvious factors. Fitz, as well as many of the other ships, weren't always kept up to date on equipment or repairs. Yet they were pushed to, and beyond, their limits. The luck, really, was that these things didn't happen more often. And it was all to maximize income mostly for owners and to a smaller extent captains. And by owners I mean large corporations and then private equity firms.
While I enjoyed the retelling of the sinking itself and the look at how this event was indicative of how the country, especially manufacturing, was being hung out to dry by finance and both political parties, the chapter that most touched me was the one about raising the bell from the wreck. The only time the powers that be came through for the families.
The ideas at the end about bringing shipbuilding jobs back to this country, military and civilian alike, make sense in the abstract but I'm not sure about how feasible it is without getting more details. I'm not discounting it, I just would like to see an actual breakdown of costs, both to kickstart the construction as well as the sustainability of the industry and whether the other industries that would be served are in a position to make it all worthwhile. I would love for this to be doable, I just want more details.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
It would be so much simpler, especially for those who are afraid of looking at the big picture, to say it was just a bad storm and a bit of bad luck. But those were just the two most obvious factors. Fitz, as well as many of the other ships, weren't always kept up to date on equipment or repairs. Yet they were pushed to, and beyond, their limits. The luck, really, was that these things didn't happen more often. And it was all to maximize income mostly for owners and to a smaller extent captains. And by owners I mean large corporations and then private equity firms.
While I enjoyed the retelling of the sinking itself and the look at how this event was indicative of how the country, especially manufacturing, was being hung out to dry by finance and both political parties, the chapter that most touched me was the one about raising the bell from the wreck. The only time the powers that be came through for the families.
The ideas at the end about bringing shipbuilding jobs back to this country, military and civilian alike, make sense in the abstract but I'm not sure about how feasible it is without getting more details. I'm not discounting it, I just would like to see an actual breakdown of costs, both to kickstart the construction as well as the sustainability of the industry and whether the other industries that would be served are in a position to make it all worthwhile. I would love for this to be doable, I just want more details.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews