Reviews

In meteorological jargon, a "perfect storm" is one unsurpassed in ferocity and duration‘a description that fits the so-called Halloween Gale of October 1991 in the western Atlantic. Junger, who has written for American Heritage and Outside, masterfully handles his account of that storm and its devastation. He begins with a look at the seedy town of Gloucester, Mass., which has been sliding downhill ever since the North Atlantic fishing industry declined, then focuses his attention on the captain and the five-man crew of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing vessel. He then charts the storm‘particularly formidable because three storms had converged from the south, the west and the north‘that created winds up to 100 miles an hour and waves that topped 110 feet. He reconstructs what the situation must have been aboard the ship during the final hours of its losing battle with the sea, and the moments when it went down with the loss of all hands. He recaps the courageous flight of an Air National Guard helicopter, which had to be ditched in the ocean‘leaving one man dead while the other four were rescued‘then returns to Gloucester and describes the reaction to the loss of the Andrea Gail. Even with the inclusion of technical information, this tale of the "Storm of the Century" is a thrilling read and seems a natural for filming. BOMC main selection and QPB selection; Reader's Digest Today's Best Nonfiction selection; first serial to Esquire; $235,000 paperback floor; simultaneous Random House Audio; British rights: Fourth Estate. (May)

YA‘In late October of 1991, three separate weather systems came together in the North Atlantic and gave birth to a "perfect storm." It caused numerous deaths, millions of dollars in damage to property and shoreline, and resulted in several near-fatal rescues. This story follows the crews of two ships and a helicopter. Junger first focuses on one crew member from a swordfishing vessel. The men have been out on the Grand Banks for almost five weeks when they start the week-long trip home and head directly into the growing storm. The few known facts about the sinking of the Andrea Gail are interspersed with speculation of what could have been happening on the ship during those last few hours. At the same time, closer to the New England Coast, the sailboat Satori is losing the battle to stay afloat and the Coast Guard responds to her mayday call. Because of the high winds and waves, a rescue swimmer must get in the water to help the sailors, two women and a man, onto a rescue basket. Just as they return to the Coast Guard Station a call comes in that an Air National Guard helicopter has gone down attempting to aid another sailboat. The courageous downed crew is well portrayed in exciting passages about their ordeal and recovery. Beyond the human aspect of the storm, the book contains interesting facts about meteorology, the how-tos of swordfishing, and the history of that trade. Fans of true-life adventure stories will love this book.‘Penny Stevens, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Junger, a journalist noted for his adventure stories in magazines such as Outside and Men's Journal, reconstructs here the last moments before the wreck of a swordfish boat during a fierce storm off the coast of Nova Scotia in October 1991. The Andrea Gail was a 70-foot, steel-hulled vessel that fished for swordfish using a 30-mile "longline" with thousands of hooks. Junger provides an excellent account of the fishing industry, detailing various fishing techniques; he also chronicles the rowdy lifestyle of fishermen. He recounts harrowing stories of the search and rescue efforts of other vessels caught in the same storm, including a fascinating look at "rescue swimmers." Although none survived on the Andrea Gail, Junger did extensive interviews with families and friends of the crew to put together a cohesive story that reads like a novel. A good, solid purchase for public libraries.‘John Kenny, San Francisco P.L.