The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Smithsonian • 10 Best History Books of 2025
Bookpage • Best Books of 2025

"A work of spectral beauty destined to be a classic. Readers of Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm, Erik Larsen’s Dead Wake, and Nathaniel Philbrick’s In the Heart of the Sea will love this deeply reported tale." ―Hampton Sides, New York Times best-selling author of The Wide Wide Sea and In the Kingdom of Ice

“The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ has been told and retold by authors and bards. But never has it been told better than by Mr. Bacon in this colorful and compelling book.... Dead men tell no tales, but their loved ones do. Mr. Bacon tracked them down and listened.” ―John J. Miller, Wall Street Journal

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, page-turning narrative history of America’s most-mourned maritime disaster.

Two 8 page full-color inserts

John U. Bacon has authored fourteen books on sports, business, health, and history, the last seven of which are critically acclaimed national bestsellers, including five New York Times bestsellers. He lives in Ann Arbor and northern Michigan with his wife and son.

"The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ has been told and retold by authors and bards. But never has it been told better than by Mr. Bacon in this colorful and compelling book.... In ‘The Gales of November,’ he blends the talents of a narrative historian with the skills of a journalist, in an account that covers the economics of the Great Lakes, the evolution of mining technology and the mechanics of canal locks. It also touches on poignant personal details about the crewmen of the Edmund Fitzgerald and their families. He even takes readers behind the music, describing how and why Lightfoot came to record his song.... A strength of 'The Gales of November' is the way Mr. Bacon weaves in the stories of the crewmen who perished when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down. Dead men tell no tales, but their loved ones do. Mr. Bacon tracked them down and listened."
― John J. Miller, Wall Street Journal

"An absorbing Perfect Storm-esque literary narrative."
― Christopher Borelli, Chicago Tribune

"An absorbing read that answers the questions most readers will have . . . . Bacon has given us a superior look into an unforgettable story."
― Kevin Duchschere, Minnesota Star Tribune

"In addition to the expected library, database and museum research, Bacon interviewed family members; other sailors, including some who had served on the Fitz; port workers, scientists, bartenders, servers and other people who helped him understand and communicate what the life of a Great Lakes sailor was like. … Beyond merely recapping the details of the Edmund Fitzgerald's final voyage, he wants readers to feel and understand the attractions and perils of a Great Lakes sailor's life."
― Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"This is a wonderful book, perfect for the reader who’s interested in maritime history, a fan of shipwrecks, or who simply wants to learn more about what exactly Gordon Lightfoot was singing about to begin with."
― Katie Gill, Mississippi Clarion-Ledger

"An engaging, thoroughly detailed account of both the tragedy and America’s postwar economic boom with the Great Lakes at its center."
― Hailey Eber, New York Post, "Exciting New Books to Read this Fall"

"[A] superb education in geography, seamanship, and history....Bacon writes in arresting prose....Since no crewman survived, details of the disaster are spotty, but Bacon makes the most of them, delivering biographies of crewmen, their duties, descriptions of the storm, increasingly fraught messages from the Fitzgerald before they ceased, interviews with victims’ families, and a discussion of the lessons learned. The author makes the Fitzgerald the centerpiece of a broad account of Great Lakes shipping, the careers and daily lives of the crews―and the industries, cities, and bars that feed them―and tales of other sinkings. A gripping account of a maritime disaster."
― Kirkus Reviews, starred review