As we approach the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a new book coming out this fall will explore the full story of the ship's disaster.
W.W. Norton announced this week the book will be called "The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald."
The book is written by John U. Bacon, the Ann Arbor-based author who has written several books about the Michigan Wolverines, as well as books about the great Halifax explosion and leadership.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was first launched on June 7, 1958 and was the largest carrier on the Great Lakes until 1971. The ship weighed 13,632 tons and measured 729 feet long by 75 feet wide. The Fitzgerald was the first carrier to haul more than one million tons of iron ore pellets through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, earning the nickname, “The Pride of the American Flag”.
On Nov. 9, 1975, the Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin headed for Detroit's Zug Island. That night, it encountered hurricane-force winds and massive waves. It eventually sank on Nov. 10 northwest of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior, killing all 29 men on board.
Watch below: What makes the gales of November in Lake Superior? Meteorologist Hally Vogel explains
"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," the book's description reads.
"The Gales of November" is set to be released on Oct. 7, and preorders are available now.
