The Perfect Storm (book)
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First edition cover
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| Author | Sebastian Junger |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Andrea Gail, 1991 Perfect Storm, shipwrecks a true story of man against the sea |
| Genre | Creative nonfiction |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton & Company |
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Publication date
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May 17, 1997 |
| Pages | xii, 227 |
| ISBN | 0-393-04016-X |
| OCLC | 35397863 |
| 974.4/5 | |
| LC Class | QC945 .J66 1997 |
The Perfect Storm is a creative nonfiction book written by Sebastian Junger and published by W. W. Norton & Company in 1997. The paperback edition (ISBN 0-06-097747-7) followed in 1999 from HarperCollins' Perennial imprint. The book is about the 1991 Perfect Storm that hit North America between October 28 and November 4, 1991, and features the crew of the fishing boat Andrea Gail, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, who were lost at sea during severe conditions while longline fishing for swordfish 575 miles (925 km) out. Also in the book is the story about the rescue of the three-person crew of the sailboat Satori in the Atlantic Ocean during the storm by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166).
The book was adapted for the film of the same title, directed by Wolfgang Petersen and released in 2000. The Satori is renamed Mistral in the movie, and the since-retired USCGC Tamaroa is portrayed by a newer, 210-foot medium-endurance cutter.
Contents
Plot
The book follows the lives of the swordfishing crew of the Andrea Gail and their family members before and during the 1991 Perfect Storm. Among the men boarding the Andrea Gail were Billy Tyne, Alfred Pierre, David "Sully" Sullivan, Michael "Bugsy" Moran, Dale "Murph" Murphy, and Bobby Shatford, each foe bringing their own intelligence, physical strength, and hope aboard with them. The men were raised with the expectation that they would become fishermen. As "Sully" said, even before they had left for their long journey, "It's the money ... If I didn't need the money I wouldn't go near this thing."[1]
Much of the early part of the book gives detailed descriptions of the daily lives of the fishermen and their jobs, and is centered around activities at the Crow's Nest,[2] a tavern in Gloucester popular with the fishermen.
The latter part of the book attempts to reconstruct events at sea during the storm, aboard the Andrea Gail as well as rescue efforts directed at several other ships caught in the storm, including the attempted rescue of pararescuemen who were themselves caught in the storm. Lost from the New York Air National Guard HH-60 helicopter was TSgt. Alden "Rick" Smith.[3] A week-long search off the South Shore of Long Island failed to find his remains. Surviving the helicopter crash were Maj. David Ruvola, Capt. Graham Buschor, SSgt. Jimmy Mioli and TSgt. John Spillane, the second pararescueman aboard.
All six crew members of the Andrea Gail were missing, presumed dead. The ship and crew were never found. A few fuel drums, a fuel tank, the EPIRB, an empty life raft, and some other flotsam were the only wreckage ever found.
Crew members on the Andrea Gail
- Frank W. "Billy" Tyne, Jr. – Captain of the Andrea Gail. A good fisherman, with a reputation of being a prosperous fishing captain. Billy was once married to Jodi Tyne who at the time of the story is Billy's ex-wife.
- Reed "Bobby" Shatford – Born March 22, 1961, Bobby was a native of Gloucester, Massachusetts. In his high school years, Bobby played lacrosse. Before boarding the Andrea Gail, he lived above his favorite hang-out, The Crow's Nest, where his mother, Ethel, would tend the bar. Bobby was dating Christina "Chris" Cotter, whom he met through his sister, Mary Anne. Chris soon became his fiance. Bobby had two children from a previous marriage. He accepted the spot on the Andrea Gail because he needed money to pay the child support that he owed his ex-wife. Bobby planned this fishing trip to be the last one before settling down and marrying Chris. It was said that Bobby was not only the youngest fisherman on the boat, but the most inexperienced as well.
- Dale "Murph" Murphy – In the story Murph is 33 years old. He is from Bradenton Beach, Florida. He is physically described to have shaggy black hair, a thin beard, and Mongolian eyes. Murph has a 3 year old child and an ex-wife named Debra. Murph is the cook for the Andrea Gail.
- David "Sully" Sullivan – A hired fisherman who served to replace a worker on the Andrea Gail who dropped out of the job. Sully is well known in Gloucester for saving his entire crew on one fishing voyage.
- Michael "Bugsy " Moran – A crew member on the Andrea Gail. Described as an amiable person with a crazy reputation.
- Alfred Pierre – Described by Junger as, "An immense, kind Jamaican from New York City." Before departure Pierre is described as going back and forth in deciding whether he is going on the fishing trip or not. He does eventually go on the trip. Pierre is also described to be shy yet well-liked.
Other important people
- Bob Brown – The owner of the Andrea Gail. Captain Billy Tyne is known for 'hate talking' to Brown and often sends messages to him through Captain Greenlaw. Junger describes Brown's reputation in Gloucester as complex. He is known for being a successful owner but criticized for being a risk taker. To some he is known as "Suicide Brown."
- Linda Greenlaw – Greenlaw is captain of the Hannah Boden (sister ship to the Andrea Gail) and a friend of Billy Tyne. The two captains were in radio contact with one another before the Andrea Gail went down.
- Albert Johnston – Johnston was captain of the F/V Mary T and part of the Atlantic swordfishing fleet that sailed from Gloucester and the last person known to have spoken with Captain Billy Tyne before the Andrea Gail was lost at sea. Aboard the F/V Mary T were Captain Johnston's brothers Captain Paul Johnston and Captain Timothy 'Timmy' Johnston. The Johnston family operated a successful swordfish and fishing tackle business. The Johnston family operated many different fishing vessels, most recently the F/V Canyon Explorer.
- Charlie Reed – Former captain of the boat. Reed gives commentary throughout the book on the boats' history.
- Ethel Shatford – Bobby's mother, and the owner of the Crow's Nest.
- Christina Cotter – Bobby's fiancee
- Lawrence Brudnicki - Captain of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tamaroa (WMEC-166) during the 1991 Perfect Storm.
Book controversy
While there have been disputes over the context and research of the book, there have been controversies that surround the movie The Perfect Storm. Families of two crew members sued the film makers for the fictionalization of events which happened prior to the loss of the Andrea Gail.[4] In 2005, the Florida Supreme Court ruled against the family of Captain Tyne by a 6-2 vote.
