Location : Cleveland, OH
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.
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