The Gales of November

The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald

De: John U. Bacon

Narrado por: Johnny Heller

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking, the bestselling author of The Great Halifax Explosion tells the definitive story of the “Mighty Fitz.”

For three decades following World War II, the Great Lakes overtook Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. The region was the beating heart of the world economy, possessing all the power and prestige Silicon Valley does today. And no ship represented the apex of the American Century better than the 729-foot-long Edmund Fitzgerald—the biggest, best, and most profitable ship on the Lakes.

But on November 10, 1975, as the “storm of the century” threw 100 mile-per-hour winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz found itself at the worst possible place, at the worst possible time. When she sank, she took all 29 men onboard down with her, leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery for a half century.

In The Gales of November, award-winning journalist John U. Bacon presents the definitive account of the disaster, drawing on more than 100 interviews with the families, friends, and former crewmates of those lost. Bacon explores the vital role Great Lakes shipping played in America’s economic boom, the uncommon lives the sailors led, the sinking’s most likely causes, and the heartbreaking aftermath for those left behind—“the wives, the sons, and the daughters,” as Gordon Lightfoot sang in his unforgettable ballad.

Focused on those directly affected by the tragedy, The Gales of November is both an emotional tribute to the lives lost and a propulsive, thrilling narrative history of America’s most-mourned maritime disaster.

“John Bacon has done it again! This is another riveting narrative that puts facts on a still-mesmerizing legend. But this is more than getting the details right. Bacon has distilled the essence of the story and rendered a huge monument to those lost and a great gift to the rest of us.”—Ken Burns, filmmaker

©2025 John U. Bacon LLC (P)2025 Recorded Books

Review of the people aboard.

It brought to life the story like never before. The remaining families surely became lifelong friends. Gordon Lightfoot also came alive with his song.

A little too much detail

Definitely everything you could possibly want to know about the Edmund Fitzgerald. Definitely worth the listen in a long drive.

Lack of Benjamin Harrison

I enjoyed the storytelling of the book, but it suffered from the old canard that the second president with same last name is the longer name (e.g., John Adams and then the son John Quincy Adams or Teddy Roosevelt and then FDR), but William Henry Harrison was the first “Harrison” president.

The Faces and The Names

This completes the story. Although we will never know exactly why the ship sank, it adds missing pieces from the people who were directly touched by the events of November 10, 1975 and most importantly,details the lives and the impacts of the 29 men who sacrificed so much on that ill fated journey.

the human tale was the most riveting part of the book.

"The Gales of November" is more than just a book about the Fitzgerald; it's an in-depth look into the history of shipping on the Great Lakes, its inherent dangers, and the people and their lives. I was really intrigued by the history of the region, the big cities and their ports vital to the area, and the development of shipping on the lakes. The dangers associated with it are also explained at length, including storms and weather patterns specific to the area, which was really informative. The book covers other shipwrecks infamous in the Great Lakes region, and when it comes to the Edmund Fitzgerald, the amount of detail in the writing is impressive. John U. Bacon does an incredible job of really bringing these 29 men's backgrounds into perspective,
and I felt a familiarity with all of them and their families. You feel immersed in the lifestyle on board by getting to know the ship and crew intimately, life on the ship, the lives off the ship, and you get every detail of her fateful last voyage. The book even includes the history of the Gordon Lightfoot song and its impact and legacy. I was really invested in the story and history of it all. This is a fantastic, emotionally compelling, and tragically informative story, not just about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, but of the history of the Great Lakes community and region as a whole and, most importantly, of the 29 men and their families.