THE EDMUND FITZGERALD: FROM GLORY TO GUT WRENCHING TRAGEDY

by Timothy J. Thompson M.A.

On Monday evening, November 10th, 1975, the famous iron ore freighter, Edmund Fitzgerald was desperately fighting her way through a raging tempest on the treacherous Great Lake Superior. Suddenly, shortly after 7:15, the 729 foot long ship nose-dived to the bottom of Superior without warning. The end was so abrupt and catastrophic, that not a single distress signal was sent. There was no Mayday; no cry for help. There were also no survivors. There were no witnesses to give testimony as to exactly what had happened. The tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her 29 man crew was one of the worst maritime disasters in United States' maritime history. Nearly one half century has passed since that horrible event. There have been countless theories put forth to try and explain what caused the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Some of these were credible; others absurd. As a result, a great mystery soon surrounded the tragedy. Emotional elements unintentionally added to the mystery; further preventing the truth from being uncovered. This is not the case anymore. In the book, The Edmund From Glory To Gut Wrenching Tragedy, brilliant author Timothy J. Thompson has succeeded in piercing through this veil, and has explained in specific detail exactly what caused the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Drawing upon numerous primary and secondary sources, Mr. Thompson retells the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald in a truly dynamic way. Leaving no stone unturned, he answers the nagging questions that other authors were unable to answer, and draws proper conclusions based upon painstaking research and analysis. Once you, the reader, have finished reading this outstanding book, you will know exactly what caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to founder, and realize that is was not a great mystery as so many others have erroneously concluded, but rather, a tragedy just waiting to happen.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 25, 2019

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one hit home for me, as I was a sophomore at UW-Superior on Nov 10, 1975 and was watching "Monday Night Football" with dorm-mates when the call came out for the crew of the USS Woodrush to report to the ship immediately. I had no concept that a Great Lakes freighter sinking in Lake Superior was such a monumental event. We certainly learned after that evening. To boot, one of the crewmen was from a tiny settlement near Ashland WI, Moquah, from where two of my roommates hailed.

I really enjoyed the entire structure of his discussion: an excellent chronology of the Fitz's life and perhaps some reasons her demise came as it did - related to financial incentives. I think this work is an eye-opener: rationally arguing the many factors that came into play during that ferocious storm in Lake Superior in November 1975.

[Katie Alley · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?”

I selected the book The Edmund Fitzgerald: From Glory to Gut Wrenching Tragedy by Timothy J. Thompson because we just passed the 50th anniversary of the freighter’s sinking, and I wanted to learn about what exactly happened. Thompson is a historian with the goal of revealing the truth behind the ship’s catastrophic end. His book is a detailed analysis of the disaster and an evaluation of the causes. This is not a narrative told as if the reader was right there experiencing it and listening to the sailors' dialogue.

It is clear from the start that the book is well-researched. Thompson provides historical context about the Edmund Fitzgerald, the iron ore industry, freighter activity on the Great Lakes during the 20th century, and weather patterns on Lake Superior. This context is valuable, but we don’t get to the actual recount of the last voyage until page 100.

The official 1977 Coast Guard report states that the most probable cause of the Fitzgerald’s sinking was the loss of buoyancy due to the loss of freeboard and high seas flooding in through the cargo hatches. Thompson offers a bigger picture of what actually happens, referencing the earlier context he provided, and shares five main reasons he believes the ship sank.

After reading Thompson’s in-depth analysis, I agree with his five conclusions. I appreciate that Thompson calls out the negligence and greed of the Fitzgerald’s owners.

For what it is, this book is very informative and detailed. However, Thompson’s writing is wordy and repetitive. The last chapter discussing Thompson’s conclusions is especially repetitive, but perhaps it's good for readers who do not know anything about freighters or who may forget details from earlier in the book. The inclusion of images, particularly of the wreck underwater, was extremely valuable and engaging.

I did not enjoy this book as much as some other shipwreck recounts I've read, but I think that is because this is a historical analysis, and not so much a “narrative”.

[Mike Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An In Depth Study

A very complete and interesting history of a great freighter and it’s tragic demise on Lake Superior.
The author fully covers the five factors that led to the sinking of The Edmund Fitzgerald.
The book contains a lot of photos of the freighter both above and below water.
A thoroughly written and informative work.
Easy to read and comprehend the tragic events that lead to the sinking of the ship.
Great read.

[Joshua Simulcik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well researched, but…

Poorly written. While the author clearly did his research, the text was awkward and would be improved by diligent editing. The personal opinions shared in the latter part of the book are a surprising departure from the tone of most of the text. On a positive note, the photographs presented in the book present a more complete picture than that available in many other books on the topic.

[Loretta Micheals · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a relatively short book, but unfortunately, quite repetitive. Too much was spent on statistics rather than humanity. And the reader kept referring to pictures that you could not see. I listened to a version that was done by AI voices. In places the dictation was off as was the tone. They have a long ways to go on that.

[Debra Dian · Rating 5 out of 5]

grabs your attention

Tho not a sailor recent s boating enthusiast, I found this a very informative read. I well remember the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald and her crew always wondering what caused her loss. The conclusions drawn with the supporting facts make sense. I recommend this book

[Rick Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read!

Excellent. I know some will demerit it for formatting issues, but for presentation of critical information concerning the how and why of this tragedy of the season, it is outstanding.

As a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, I can attest that the Edmund Fitzgerald holds a special place with everyone who has ever spent extensive time underway.

[David Rathbun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, but choppy writing.
At times it seemed like it was written by AI.it was annoying to have Lake Superior repeatedly referred to as "Great Lake Superior. The book would benefit from more editing.

[Linda Ossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of pictures!

Not a bad book, but there's lots of repetition. I guess this is okay if you're looking to skip through some chapters. But, if you're reading it from cover to cover, expect to read some facts over and over again. What this book does have is loads of pictures.

[Insanity47 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad but very informative

I love the book. The author spent much time reviewing evidence and then stated the obvious answerd. No holes barred.