I appreciated this account of the October 1991 storm that caused so much havoc and tragedy, later made into a film starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg. I saw the film when it came out, and remember being so shocked by the tragic ending. I hadn't read the book, and since the film related the last moments of the people who died, I assumed most of the way through the film that they had been rescued. I bought the book not longer after having seen the film, but just got around to reading it now. It's a well-researched and compassionate account of the storm and how it affected so many: the fishermen, other boaters, rescue swimmers, and all of their families. The jobs these people do are so dangerous that it makes me question the ethics of supporting the fishing industry at all. Not to mention that one of the things that makes the job so dangerous is that they have to fish so far away from port because of centuries of over-fishing. A storm can brew in just days, but it takes a week to get from the fishing ground to a safe port, and sometimes it's just impossible. I know the money can be good, but do I really want people risking their lives so that I can have a swordfish steak at a restaurant? This is a very well-written and researched book; it's a shame Junger hasn't written many more long form non-fiction (I believe he only has one other).
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