Most of us have heard the song by Gordon Lightfoot, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." When I saw this book I thought it would be interesting to read about what actually happened to the ship you hear about in this song. Unfortunately, even after reading the book, you do not really know exactly what happened, because there were no survivors and no eye witnesses to the sinking of the ship. There was a lot of investigation done, including interviews with other ships captains who had communications with the ship during the storm in which it sank, as well as a number of submarine dives to the wreck site itself. But still after all the investigation, there is no conclusive account of what actually happened to cause the ship to sink on November 10, 1975. But it was fascinating to read about the differing opinions, and also to learn a bit about the Great Lakes shipping industry.

This was a really interesting read - I learned so much about the crew, history, and final hours of the Fitz. One aspect that was surprising to me is how relevant the Fitz still is, to surviving family members, historians, and the Coast Guard/etc. when trying to make the shipping industry safe. Another surprising thing that I did not know is that the Fitz was not alone on its journey. The Anderson was near by, and the captain was in constant contact with other ships. This book inspires me to learn more about my great grandpa who was a ship captain on the great lakes. I really enjoy learning about local history, especially when there is a small family connection.

I live On Lake Ontario one of the Other Great Lakes and as a child the first news stories I remember hearing were about the Movement of the Africanized Killer Bees and about the disappearance of The Edmund Fitzgerald.
The Story always struck a chord and like with many many others Gordon Lightfoots haunting ballad made the Story Stick with me.
I wish the book had some maps of the area and events and some pictures of the ships involved in the story would have been nice.
It was a fairly complete and informative detailing of the Events involved in the tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald without being too dry or textbook like in its telling.

Listen to Gordon Lightfoot's song "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" that songs poetry says it all about this tragedy. I heard Gordon Lightfoot sing The Edmund Fitzgerald song many times, but I never knew the real story of what happened. The Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with her entire crew of 29 men on Lake Superior November 10, 1975, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point, Michigan after encountering some nasty weather. This book gives the reader a clear and crisp account of the tragic and mysterious loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Mysterious, because despite repeated examinations of the wreckage, it is still uncertain why the ship sank.

I thought Schumacher did 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. Zero Photos. To help me visualize if you have an atlas where the Fitz went down, I did google the location of the wreck if anyone is interested: 46°59′54″N 85°6′36″W.

I enjoyed the whole book; it was captivating and kept you interested from beginning to end. Read this book and experience the true plight of the Edmund Fitzgerald. In the words of Gordon Lightfoot "The lake it is said never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy"

This was an interesting read and got more so as the book went on. I do wish it had included pictures of the ship's interior, and the setting, key figures, etc. However, I enjoyed learning about the wreck and different theories surrounding its cause, as well as the investigation, ongoing controversy, and commemoration efforts.

Perhaps a dry read for some, the book strikes a balance between narrating the lives of the lost crew and family, and discussing the more technical details of the ship's sinking. Though he craft a story about the characters of lost crew and family members, he stops short of fictionalizing and spends most of his time discussing the various debates about he cause of the sinking and how to best honor and protect the site. In a sense, this book tilts to technical side just as the Fitz reportedly suffered a list on the starboard side just hours before it sank. All told, a good book for boat lovers.

A great, non-fiction account of the events before, during, and after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, also known as "the Titanic of the Great Lakes."

Read more from a certain curiosity than desperate burning interest, this book came to me as a result of several things in life coinciding all at once.

Aware of the Edmund Fitzgerald but not fully aware of how important and mysterious, confrontational, horrifying, confusing, territorial, awe inspiring and devastating its story actually is, this book represents a clear passage of the narrative concerning the Fitz’s final journey.

Other than that, my opinion is not required.

Well written and presented and full of reference materials for further study if needed. I would recommend it for that.

Compelling and easy to read. I learned a lot about the wreck and its victims. There is a lot more to the story than one would think. Would recommend.

While I feel Robert Hemming's "Gales of November" captured the personal stories of the Fitz's lost crew the best, Schumacher's book is the most comprehensive overview of the Edmund Fitzgerald saga yet published. He tells her story from her famous career to her mysterious destruction to the explorations that visited her haunting wreck to the poignant ceremony held at the site in 1999 that consecrated her wreck as a grave site.
Schumacher presents all the main theories about what may have led to her sinking, to the point he leaves it up to the reader to choose what is the most valid possibility for the "Mighty Fitz"'s loss and the untimely deaths of all her crew. This was a wise approach, considering how the proximate cause for the vessel's loss will never be known.
I do wish Schumacher had added a photo/illustration section to the book, and I feel his footnotes adopted more of a bare bones than in-depth approach (indeed, there is only one detailed footnote that expands on something mentioned in the text). Also, Schumacher, a biographer of Eric Clapton, does not focus much on the genesis, composition, and release of Gordon Lightfoot's haunting ballad "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." I had hoped Schumacher would, considering his music industry credentials.
Nevertheless, "Mighty Fitz" has much to offer those delving into the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald for the first time.

This book was fascinating. There were so many interesting facts that I never knew about. My issue with the book was that it was utter chaos. I think the content could have been organized in a more systematic way that would have made the whole reading experience more enjoyable. I found myself skimming over large parts of the book. Also, the glossary at the end is helpful, but I went half way through the book wondering what a "list" was. I only found out half way through because I looked it up. I'm not sure who the audience for this book is supposed to be. Great content, just could have used some better editing.

Really enjoyed reading this book about the sinking of the Fitz. The book is factual and clears up some questions about how the investigators came to the conclusion they did regarding the sinking.
This is not a Perfect Storm/fictional type of read so know that before you start. In short if you’re interested in the story of the sinking of the Fitz, I would most definitely recommend this book.