Synopsis:

The Perfect Storm deals with the lives of the men who were swallowed by the sea while swordfishing on the Andrea Gail, along with their relatives and other aspects related to the disastrous event that occurred on October 1991, off the coast of Massachusets.

Personal opinion:

Sebastian Junger does a terrific job putting the Andrea Gail and the fishermen into context. First he describes the reader the kind of life a long time fisherman lives; he dwells on their relatives (parents, partners, friends) and the places they live, creating a good background before riding the boat to its final destination.

The chapters describing the storm are thrilling, and you can't help but holding your breath and read faster just to know what's going to happen next. I'd say that this is one of the main virtues of this book: although you might know how it all ends, the narration is nerve-racking: it keeps you intrigued all the time, and it draws as clear a picture of the storm that you find yourself in the middle of the severe storm that caused the tragic accident.

Some chapters might be a little too technical for my taste, though. Interesting as they are, the parts where the author dwells on the weather conditions and some technicalities about boats might be a little too long. On the other hand, I liked a lot the testimonies of the people who suffered the life of their loved ones until the end.

In addition, I'd highlight the way in which the author wrote about how it would have been to be on the Andrea Gail during the storm. His technique here was to interview people who had survived in similar situations and mix this information with what little is known about the shipwreck and its circumstances; guessing what could have happened out there, eventually. Again, thumbs up for Mr. Junger.

I also loved the part when the author explains how he came to meet the relatives of the men who died on the Andrea Gail, at the town of Gloucester. This part is terrifying, because all along the book you realize that The Perfect Storm is as real as it gets; but this is the ultimate proof that the facts are genuine. Certainly, the book feels like a complete TV report on the event. ( )

In the last couple years I've read two other maritime disaster books: In the Heart of the Sea by Nethaniel Philbrick and In Harm's Way by Doug Stanton, and although this book was a fast read and engaging, I didn't find myself as involved with the characters as in the other books.

Perhaps it was simply aptly titled. It was, to me, indeed a book primarily about a storm, more than it was a book about the people in it. Though they figured prominently in the telling of the story, the other two were stories of survival and death. . .this book read like it was just a story of a sinking. ( )

Great story telling - character, detail, tension.

Author photo is a bit spooky, like a zombie football player. ( )

Junger is one of the premier non-fiction writers working. Well written, very readable, and emotionally engaging. ( )

It's OK to admit it -- you watch "The Deadliest Catch" on the Discovery Channel. It's just something about the danger and romance of the sea, and the grit and pride of the men and women who work the waters for a living. The movie made from this book was OK, but only because of George Clooney. The book will blow you away (pardon the pun).