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

Midwest Must Read

This book was a timely read as we are coming up on the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Fitz. The writing was interesting and compelling, and it gave great honor to the men who serve on Great Lakes.

Great storytelling

Bacon does a marvelous job of capturing the Great Lakes shipping industry. Not only is it a great history lesson, he weaves in the human side of everybody working on the Fitz. A must read.

A gripping narrative history of the people, the history and the science behind this tragedy

A compelling history of not only the wreck, but also the science of the Great Lakes, the economy of or carriers, and the lives of the doomed sailors. It steers away from conjecture and focuses on the human element.

Excellent book on all levels

Spoiler alert: the Edmund Fitzgerald sinks. But it is how John Bacon weaves the story giving respectful due to the men aboard, the families, the music of the times, the car industry, the 70’s and most importantly to me as a reader he addresses the fact that it is never one thing that contributed to the sinking. He hits a home run on all these objectives. I thought the narrator did a fine job reading the story so kudos to him. 5 stars and two thumbs up.

Outstanding! Great info on a wreck I thought I knew about.

Author provides great details without getting bogged down. Narrator is perfect and has also narrated other books by John Bacon. Overall, a great listen

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.

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.

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.

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.

Outstanding

Outstanding research. Brought the crew to life instead of just being 29 men. Bless them all.