-
Graveyard of the Lakes
- Great Lakes Books Series
- Narrated by: Scott MacDonald
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's summary
For the first time, a historian and seasoned mariner looks beyond the specific circumstances of individual shipwrecks in an effort to reach a clearer understanding of the economic, political, and psychological factors that have influenced the 25,000 wrecks on the Great Lakes over the past 300 years. Looking at the entire tragic history of shipwrecks on North America's expansive inland seas, from the 1679 loss of the Griffon to the mysterious sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975, Mark L. Thompson concludes that a wreck is not an isolated event. In Graveyard of the Lakes, Thompson suggests that most of the accidents and deaths on the lakes have been the result of human error, ranging from simple mistakes to gross incompetence. In addition to his compelling analysis of the causes of shipwrecks, Thompson includes factual accounts of more than 100 wrecks. Graveyard of the Lakes will forever change the listener's perspective on shipwrecks.
The book is published by Wayne State University Press.
Critic reviews
Related to this topic
-
Queen of the Lakes (Great Lakes Books Series)
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is an account of ships that have borne the name Queen of the Lakes, an honorary title indicating that, at the time of its launching, a ship is the longest on the Great Lakes. In one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the maritime history of the lakes, Mark Thompson presents a vignette of each of the dozens of ships that have held the title, chronicling the dates the ship sailed, its dimensions, the derivation of its name, its role in the economic development of the region, and its sailing history.
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
The Finest Hours
- The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue
- By: Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived. On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy.
-
-
Two Times Terrific!
- By Carole T. on 01-31-16
By: Michael J. Tougias, and others
-
Ten Hours Until Dawn
- The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do
- By: Michael J. Tougias
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the height of the blizzard of 1978, the tanker Global Hope floundered on the shoals off the Massachusetts coast. The Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat, but was soon in as much trouble as the tanker. Then pilot boat captain Frank Quirk, hearing of the Coast Guard's troubles on his radio, decided to act.
-
-
A riveting story
- By Christopher on 11-30-07
-
Simple Courage
- The True Story of Peril on the Sea
- By: Frank Delaney
- Narrated by: Frank Delaney
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen's family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection, and respect, for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a "biblical tempest" of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the 37-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew.
-
-
Well written and read
- By AMS on 03-03-08
By: Frank Delaney
-
Collision Course
- The Classic Story of the Collision of the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm
- By: Alvin Moscow
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the largest, fastest, and most beautiful ships in the world, the Andrea Doria was en route to New York from Italy. Departing from the United States was the much smaller Stockholm. On the foggy night of July 25, 1956, 53 miles southeast of Nantucket, the Stockholm sliced through the Doria's steel hull. Within minutes, the sea was pouring into the Italian liner. Eleven hours later, she capsized and sank into the ocean.
-
-
Thorough Account of the Tragedy
- By Admiralu on 10-22-21
By: Alvin Moscow
-
Under Pressure
- The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five
- By: A.J. Hill
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Monday, August 30, 1920, the S-Five, the newest member of the U.S. Navy's fleet of submarines, departs Boston on her first cruise. Two days later, as part of a routine test of the submarine's ability to crash dive, her crew's failure to close a faulty valve sends 75 tons of seawater blasting in. Before the valve can be jury-rigged shut, the S-Five sits precariously on the ocean floor under 180 feet of water. They have little air, no water, and only the dimmest of light by which to plan their escape.
-
-
Riveting Tale -- Thumbs up if your a submarine fan
- By GH on 09-07-13
By: A.J. Hill
-
Queen of the Lakes (Great Lakes Books Series)
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is an account of ships that have borne the name Queen of the Lakes, an honorary title indicating that, at the time of its launching, a ship is the longest on the Great Lakes. In one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the maritime history of the lakes, Mark Thompson presents a vignette of each of the dozens of ships that have held the title, chronicling the dates the ship sailed, its dimensions, the derivation of its name, its role in the economic development of the region, and its sailing history.
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
The Finest Hours
- The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue
- By: Michael J. Tougias, Casey Sherman
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived. On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy.
-
-
Two Times Terrific!
- By Carole T. on 01-31-16
By: Michael J. Tougias, and others
-
Ten Hours Until Dawn
- The True Story of Heroism and Tragedy Aboard the Can Do
- By: Michael J. Tougias
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the height of the blizzard of 1978, the tanker Global Hope floundered on the shoals off the Massachusetts coast. The Coast Guard dispatched a patrol boat, but was soon in as much trouble as the tanker. Then pilot boat captain Frank Quirk, hearing of the Coast Guard's troubles on his radio, decided to act.
-
-
A riveting story
- By Christopher on 11-30-07
-
Simple Courage
- The True Story of Peril on the Sea
- By: Frank Delaney
- Narrated by: Frank Delaney
- Length: 9 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on historical documents and contemporary accounts and on exclusive interviews with Carlsen's family, Delaney opens a window into the world of the merchant marine. With deep affection, and respect, for the weather and all that goes with it, he places us in the heart of the storm, a "biblical tempest" of unimaginable power. He illuminates the bravery and ingenuity of Carlsen and the extraordinary courage that the 37-year-old captain inspired in his stalwart crew.
-
-
Well written and read
- By AMS on 03-03-08
By: Frank Delaney
-
Collision Course
- The Classic Story of the Collision of the Andrea Doria and the Stockholm
- By: Alvin Moscow
- Narrated by: Mel Foster
- Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the largest, fastest, and most beautiful ships in the world, the Andrea Doria was en route to New York from Italy. Departing from the United States was the much smaller Stockholm. On the foggy night of July 25, 1956, 53 miles southeast of Nantucket, the Stockholm sliced through the Doria's steel hull. Within minutes, the sea was pouring into the Italian liner. Eleven hours later, she capsized and sank into the ocean.
-
-
Thorough Account of the Tragedy
- By Admiralu on 10-22-21
By: Alvin Moscow
-
Under Pressure
- The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five
- By: A.J. Hill
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Monday, August 30, 1920, the S-Five, the newest member of the U.S. Navy's fleet of submarines, departs Boston on her first cruise. Two days later, as part of a routine test of the submarine's ability to crash dive, her crew's failure to close a faulty valve sends 75 tons of seawater blasting in. Before the valve can be jury-rigged shut, the S-Five sits precariously on the ocean floor under 180 feet of water. They have little air, no water, and only the dimmest of light by which to plan their escape.
-
-
Riveting Tale -- Thumbs up if your a submarine fan
- By GH on 09-07-13
By: A.J. Hill
-
Into the Raging Sea
- Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm, and the Sinking of the El Faro
- By: Rachel Slade
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 11 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin barreled into the Bermuda Triangle and swallowed the container ship El Faro whole, resulting in the worst American shipping disaster in 35 years. No one could fathom how a vessel equipped with satellite communications and a sophisticated navigation system could suddenly vanish - until now. Relying on hundreds of exclusive interviews with family members and maritime experts, as well as the words of the crew members themselves - whose conversations were captured by the ship’s data recorder - journalist Rachel Slade unravels the mystery.
By: Rachel Slade
-
Wreck of the Carl D.
- A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea
- By: Michael Schumacher
- Narrated by: Gary D. MacFadden
- Length: 7 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On November 18, 1958, a 623-foot limestone carrier - caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history - broke in two and sank in less than five minutes. Four of the 35-person crew escaped to a small raft, to which they clung in total darkness, braving 30-foot waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, Michigan, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates.
-
A Voyage for Madmen
- By: Peter Nichols
- Narrated by: Norman Dietz
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death. In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones and electronic positioning systems.
-
-
Not Awesome
- By Shaun G. on 04-23-19
By: Peter Nichols
-
The Sea Hunters II
- By: Craig Dirgo, Clive Cussler
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the authors of the number-one best-selling The Sea Hunters comes more unforgettable true adventures with famous shipwrecks.
-
-
A wonderful insight into Clive Cussler.
- By Rjs194943 on 02-14-18
By: Craig Dirgo, and others
-
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald
- Eyewitness Accounts from the US Coast Guard Hearings
- By: Michael Schumacher
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A documentary drawn from testimony at the Coast Guard’s official inquiry looks anew at one of the most storied, and mysterious, shipwrecks in American history. The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most famous shipwreck stories in Great Lakes history. It is also one of maritime lore’s great mysteries, the details of its disappearance as obscure now as on that fateful November day in 1975.
-
The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
- The Loss of the Largest Ship on the Great Lakes
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: Scott Clem
- Length: 1 hr and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Lakes have claimed countless thousands of vessels over the course of history, but its biggest and most famous victim was the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest ship of its day to sail the Great Lakes and still the largest to lie below Lake Superior's murky depths. The giant ore freighter was intentionally built "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway."
-
-
A waste of money
- By Brutus the All Knowing on 04-13-17
-
The Gathering Wind
- Hurricane Sandy, the Sailing Ship Bounty, and a Courageous Rescue at Sea
- By: Gregory A. Freeman
- Narrated by: David Drummond
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In October 2012, a replica of the famous HMS Bounty, an eighteenth-century tall sailing ship, was on a collision course with a storm that would become the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic - a clash that would prove dramatic, tragic, perplexing, and ultimately one of the most unforgettable stories of Superstorm Sandy. Crewed by an eclectic team of seafarers, the Bounty was led by Robin Walbridge, their highly respected captain with decades at the helm, whose actions - sometimes questionable - decided the fate of his ship and crew.
-
Other Side of the Night
- The Carpathia, the Californian and the Night the Titanic Was Lost
- By: Daniel Allen Butler
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A few minutes before midnight on April 14, 1912, the "unsinkable" RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage to New York, struck an iceberg. Less than three hours later she lay at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. While the world has remained fascinated by the tragedy, the most amazing drama of those fateful hours was not played out aboard the doomed liner. It took place on the decks of two other ships, one 58 miles distant from the sinking Titanic, the other barely 10 miles away.
-
-
The Other Side of the Night
- By Amazon Customer on 04-19-15
-
Brilliant Beacons
- A History of the American Lighthouse
- By: Eric Jay Dolin
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 14 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set against the backdrop of an expanding nation, Brilliant Beacons traces the evolution of America's lighthouse system, highlighting the political, military, and technological battles fought to illuminate the nation's hardscrabble coastlines.
By: Eric Jay Dolin
-
Titanic's Last Secrets
- The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler
- By: John Chatterton, Richie Kohler, Brad Matsen
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why did Titanic sink as quickly as it did? Two of the greatest wreck divers in the world, the heroes of Shadow Divers, solve the mystery of history's greatest wreck. Titanic's Last Secrets peers into the lives of scientists, financiers, adventurers, and industrialists to bring listeners a thrilling and revelatory work of history and contemporary adventure.
-
-
Not much diving but interesting story
- By Jonas on 10-17-08
By: John Chatterton, and others
-
Until the Sea Shall Free Them
- By: Robert Frump
- Narrated by: Luke Smith
- Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The men on the SS Marine Electric sailed into a storm in February 1983 not knowing that they would make history - at a great cost in lives. Just three men survived the wreck of the Marine Electric off the shores of Virginia and they found that their struggle had just begun once they got back to shore. Blamed for the wreck, they fought back and broke a code of silence that had covered up sloppy ship inspections for decades and revealed the flaws in old World War II rust buckets that were still at sea long past their functional lifetime.
-
-
Interesting, but not a great listen
- By Eric on 02-22-13
By: Robert Frump
-
Halsey's Typhoon
- By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
December 1944, the Pacific Theater. General Douglas MacArthur has vowed to return to the Philippines. He will need the help of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey's Pacific Fleet. But at the height of the invasion, Halsey's ships are blindsided by a typhoon of unprecedented strength and scope. Battleships are tossed like toys, fighter planes are blown off carriers, destroyers are capsized, and hundreds of sailors are swept into the roiling, shark-infested sea.
-
-
Weather and Naval History Masterpiece
- By M. Taussig on 02-17-07
By: Bob Drury, and others
What listeners say about
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 11-02-22
And i thought that i knew a lot!
I completely realized that everything that I thought I knew about shipping on the Great Lakes was miniscule after listening and learning from this amazing book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lorena L.
- 04-10-18
Great Shipping History
fascinating history of shipwrecks on the great lakes. lots of detail and personal accounts - great info on the mindset of Coast Guard and the industry
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jesse Carr
- 01-02-21
Kinda judgy
Mark Thompson is probably right about all the human error that caused shipwrecks, but the narrative comes off as kind of pompous, all about the bad decisions made by various captains. Since many of them ended up dying terrible shipwreck deaths, seems a little unnecessary.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- OceanBlue
- 04-15-22
Very Factual and Very Redundant
I happen to be a reader of Maritime history and appreciate the facts the author put forward but it is basically a list of shipwrecks being read off.
Each chapter reads to me like a chronological list of boiler explosions and groundings and little engineering references. It seems very factual and well researched but difficult to listen to.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bernard Slicker
- 02-11-18
Graveyard of the Lakes
This is a heart breaking and frustrating history to listen to. It is upsetting to know that not much has changed in the life of Captains and sailors. Once again money rules over safety. A long book but worth it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- S. Schmidt
- 07-12-19
Very interesting detail and shipwreck accounts
Many wrecks are described and it's so easy to lose track of all the stories told. Still, the messages are clear as to why the shops went down. Very interesting!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Meg
- 10-22-20
If You're Into This Sort of Thing
I found this book very fascinating since I live near one of the lakes, travel around them at times, and have become more and more interested in them. Without overall interest, it would be difficult to get through this one. It can become dry - a continual accounting of sinkings - with good details, without "artiistic flair." It's obvious that the author is the authority on the subject. I appreciated the book very much, but this isn't one for casual reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MB3478
- 01-05-23
Ok
I think this would be a good coffee table book in a rental cottage on the shore of Lake Superior, but it isn't a great audio book. Lots of interesting facts and figures but, as with many books on this subject, repetitive and long winded at times.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Wayne Adolf
- 05-13-19
Too much detail
Too much detail and not enough story. Would have been better with more stories about the people on the ships and their struggles to survive, or not.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful