Brings Gordon Lightfoot's Haunting Song to Life
Michael Schumacher's "The Might Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a very good but superficial narrative of the tragic loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald in November 1975 and the subsequent investigations, theories, and activities surrounding its loss.
Schumacher does an excellent job in this short, readable book describing the "Edmund Fitzgerald's" last voyage and eventual loss. He never gets bogged down or sidetracked with too many details. He also covers the various investigations that followed the sinking and the competing theories about the cause of her sinking, without pushing any one theory. Finally, he briefly touches on some of the latest efforts to memorialize the "Edmund Fitzgerald," along with some of the legal battles that have arisen over the artifacts at the site.
My one criticism is that this book would have been much better with just a few maps, pictures, and charts. Maps are important to explain the location of the ship and its track; pictures to give life to the "Edmund Fitzgerald" and the men who crewed her; and charts to explain the setup of the ship and some of the theories as to why she sank.
In the end, though, Schumacher does a very good job bringing this tragedy to life and making the reader feel the loss of the ship and its crew. This is a very good book for someone wanting an overview of the second most shipwreck in modern history, but it is probably too superficial for "Edmund Fitzgerald" aficionados or anyone wanting an in-depth, detailed study of this tragedy.
Excellent Book on the Edmund Fitzgerald
Based on the number of search referrals I get, the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a popular search. So, while perusing the new books at the library, I came across a book by Michael Schumacher, Might Fitz: The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Contents:
Chapter One: The Toledo Express
Chapter Two: The Final Voyage
Chapter Three: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Chapter Four: Search for Answers
Chapter Five: The Marine Board Report
Chapter Six: Tarnished Gravesite
Postscript
As you can tell by the Chapter List, Schumacher doesn't waste any time getting to the actual event. However, don't be fooled by the apparent lack of build-up, he does an excellent job framing the story, providing all of the backstory you require to become fully acquainted with the ship, the crew, and the events leading up the sinking. The most heartbreaking parts occur after the ship goes down. He has talked to the families of those men that were lost, their stories of how they learned of the wreck, and its aftermath. Even though the ship lies at the bottom of Lake Superior, the controversy surrounding it continues. First, Schumacher researches the Marine Board Report and its finding that the hatch covers were improperly secured, thus allowing water into the holds. Then he concludes with a research vessel that investigated the wreck, and to some, desecrating the grave (apparently, while filming, they discovered some bodies). And, don't forget the issues with the removal of the bell and replacing it with another one, as a remembrance of the sailors. All of this was new to me, and fascinating.
For those of you looking for more about the Edmund Fitzgerald, I don't think that you will find a better book on the subject. My only complaint is the lack of maps and pictures. I find it difficult to believe that Schumacher allowed this book to go to print without these items. I feel that they would have increased my enjoyment of the book, being able to follow the route, seeing actual pictures of the ship and the crew. However, he does a great job with his Notes and Bibliography. So, you will have some other reference material to check out (and find some of those missing maps). He has done an exceptional job reporting, without sensationalism, the life and death of the great ship and its crew. The aftermath, as I mentioned before, was, at times difficult to read. You tend to forget that there are people that must keep living, and Schumacher brings these people and their stories to you.
Highly recommended.
Great Book
A really well written book concerning the last days of the ore-ship Edmund Fitzgerald. The author reall knows Lake Superior and the iron-ore shipping industry. I had difficulty putting this book down.
The Mighty Fitz
This was a very well written comprehensive account of the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald... I learned facts that I didn't know before. Thank You for giving Credit to Tim McCall for his Beautiful Website the SSEFO.
It was a good read...
Mighty Fitz does a mighty good job
Mighty Fitz is a good, balance telling of the story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, the loss of which was made famous by the Gordon Lightfoot song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Mr. Schumacher presents the several theories of her sinking and details the human aspects of this story well. His research is correct (I compared both the US Coast Guard loss report and the final NTSB reports to his recounting) and delivered in a very readable manner. He uses "real English" and doesn't get overly technical which makes this a great read for anyone who loves stories of the sea (or the Great Lakes in this case).
(23 reviews)
