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

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking, the bestselling author of “The Great Halifax Explosion” (John U. Bacon) tells the definitive story of the “Mighty Fitz.”

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

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.

Edmund Fitzgerald — Greenmars, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Author: John U. Bacon

John U. Bacon has written fourteen books on sports, business, health, and history, including seven National Bestsellers. His latest book is “THE GALES OF NOVEMBER: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and comes out October 7, 2025.

Bacon’s radio essays earned him NPR’s award for best commentary in 2014. He appears often on national TV, gives speeches across North and South America, and taught 15 years at the University of Michigan, where he won the 2009 Golden Apple Award for “exceptional teaching.” In 2006, he was inducted into the Ann Arbor Huron High School Hall of Fame for turning around the hockey team, and in 2022 he gave the commencement address at Michigan Tech, where he is a trustee.