Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #385370 in Books
• Published on: 2000-07-13
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard in October 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, author Sebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the "storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the people caught in it. Chief among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat the Andrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath roiling seas and high waves. Working from published material, radio dialogues, eyewitness accounts and the experiences of people who have survived similar events, Junger attempts to re-create the last moments of the Andrea Gail as well as the perilous high-seas rescues of other victims of the storm.

Like a Greek drama, The Perfect Storm builds slowly and inexorably to its tragic climax. The book weaves the history of the fishing industry and the science of predicting storms into the quotidian lives of those aboard the Andrea Gail and of others who would soon find themselves in the fury of the storm. Junger does a remarkable job of explaining a convergence of meteorological and human events in terms that make them both comprehensible and unforgettable. --Christine Buttery

Independent
'(It) will become a classic for a jaded modern world'

Ruth Rendell
'Writes like a poet who has been to meteorology school'

Customer Reviews

After seeing the movie...
Have to admit that I saw the movie first which encouraged me to buy the book, mainly to get more details and check that the movie wasn't just taking artistic license to extreme (as usual). The book was extremely well documented and written, certainly managed to put me off going to sea in storms. As a person who doesn't generally read a lot of non-fiction being able to read this while visualising the movie was great, made the whole experience much more enjoyable.

Excellent
An unsentimental, gripping tale of man against 100 ft waves. After seeing the trailer to the movie, I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy the book ... the movie seemed too "Hollywood". But I couldn't put the book down. Congratulations Sebastian Junger!

Nail Biting!!
This has to be by far the best book I have ever read!! It is thrilling, sad and above all incredibally well writen! Anyone who reads the book must see the film aswell if they havn't. Lillie Flynn