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Aug 12, 2019 Matt rated it liked it

"[I]n their interflowing aggregate, these grand fresh-water seas of ours – Erie, and Ontario, and Huron, and Superior, and Michigan – possess an ocean-similar expansiveness. They contain round archipelagoes of romantic isles. They have heard the fleet thunderings of naval victories. They are swept by Borean and dismasting waves as direful every bit whatsoever that lash the salted wave. They know what shipwrecks are; for, out of sight of land, however inland, they accept drowned many a midnight transport with all its sh "[I]northward their interflowing aggregate, these chiliad fresh-water seas of ours – Erie, and Ontario, and Huron, and Superior, and Michigan – possess an ocean-similar expansiveness. They comprise round archipelagoes of romantic isles. They have heard the fleet thunderings of naval victories. They are swept past Borean and dismasting waves every bit direful as any that lash the salted wave. They know what shipwrecks are; for, out of sight of land, nevertheless inland, they have drowned many a midnight ship with all its shrieking crew…"
- Herman Melville, Moby Dick

"Starting time Mate Elmer Fleming and Captain Bryan, both on watch in the pilot business firm, heard an unusual thud. They spun effectually and looked down the six-hundred foot deck [of the Carl D. Bradley] toward the stern. The stormy day was darkling into sunset but the deck lights were glowing and, at the end of this string of lights, the 2 officers saw the aft department of the boat sag…Twenty seconds later there was a second thud and the boat humped upward slightly equally the aft section continued its sag. The skipper ordered the first mate to transport out distress signals. Fleming grabbed the radio phone and shouted: 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!'…At first there were a number of ham radio operators at their home sets and workaday wireless men aboard vessels going about their business concern…who failed to get the significance of the message…Merely...the operator of the Marine Radio Station in Port Washington, Wisconsin, very much alive to the perilous situation…cut in with the stern alert: 'This is an emergency! Clear the channel!' For a moment in that location was a deathlike silence on channel 51. So Coast Guard signalmen…and radio operators on ships plying the Ohio and far down the Mississippi froze to attending every bit the words of First Mate Fleming crackled through space: 'Mayday! Mayday! Mayday! This is the Carl D. Bradley…We are in serious problem…' In the background, horrified curt-moving ridge radio operators monitoring aqueduct 51 could hear some other vocalism, presumably that of Helm Bryan, shouting: 'Run, grab life jackets! Get your life jackets…'"
- William Ratigan, Not bad Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals

William Ratigan's Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals is a small-printing publication written by an enthusiast of the inland seas whose passion for his subject area far outstrips his talent. Similar as not, you lot've never heard of this author or his volume.

Unless, of course, you live or accept vacationed along the Great Lakes' 4,500 miles of coastline.

Considering if you happen to visit the giftshop of a lighthouse or a maritime museum within earshot of the breakers of these massive lakes, you lot have seen this title prominently featured. Starting time published in 1960, and later revised following the 1975 sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Slap-up Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals has gained a strange kind of literary immortality equally an impulse buy of cargo-short-wearing tourists who accept simply finished touring the majority freighter William A. Irvin in Duluth Harbor. I don't hateful this every bit an insult; most authors would love the longevity and repeat printings that Ratigan accomplished. Nevertheless, enjoyment comes with some preconditions. Specifically, this is a book that perfectly fits a certain mood: the mood you get when you stand shoreside of a lake that stretches clean to the horizon; the mood you get when you hear the thunder of whitecaps against immobile boulders, or the deep and mournful dirge of a foghorn; information technology is the mood you go when the wind whips up on the lake in the belatedly autumn, and the skies turn gray, and you sense a storm building.

I must take been ten or twelve, and definitely wearing cargo shorts and Tevas with socks, when my parents purchased Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals from the Split Stone Lighthouse store. I read it as we camped along the North Shore, lulled to sleep every dark past the restless waves.

Recently, in the midst of a roughshod summer of relentless heat and demanding humidity, I sought the relief that my overtaxed air conditioner cannot provide. I needed common cold thoughts. In that state of mind, my eyes fell on my well-worn copy of Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals, with its dogeared pages and broken spine. Certainly, information technology fit my needs, as one of the coldest memories of my life is an October "swim" in Lake Superior (if jumping into a lake, losing all breath, and screaming the scream of the castrated can be called swimming).

Turns out I should accept let my childhood memories remain unsullied.

Neat Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals is clearly the production of a man deeply steeped in lake legend and lore. He is hither to tell stories, and that's what he does. It is story after story after story, with no discernible theme or structure. The book is broadly divided into five chapters (with multiple subheadings), i for each of the lakes, with an boosted chapter devoted solely to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Within each affiliate, Ratigan is all over the place, skipping back and forth in time, with lilliputian effort fabricated to corral his information or provide smooth transitions. Near the just outlining he's washed is to separate the ships that sank in storms from the ships that burned. Much of the time, Ratigan's retellings are as perfunctory as the clippings from the shipping news, which appears to exist his chief research source. He seems more than interested in listing everything he knows than in taking what he knows and molding information technology into something meaningful.

The prose here – which sang so beautifully to me as a kid – is nearly unreadably purple to my grownup optics. Ratigan writes with a determined penchant for overselling the drama of events that need non be oversold. (If you play the "doom" drinking game, in which y'all take a shot every time "doom" is mentioned, you will be in trouble). Subtlety is something that seems to have been lost in the November gales. In that location is also a golly-gee-whiz quality, as Ratigan incessantly extolls the "gallant seamen" fighting wind and weather; every bit he imagines captains going down with their ships, orphaned infants tucked beneath each arm; as he describes the act of moving taconite across the water in such mythical terms you lot'd recollect that Swell Lakes cargo ship is the only thing keeping the world on its axis.

At that place is all the same some joy to be constitute reading this. Slap-up Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals has a tale or two worth revisiting, including the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley in Lake Michigan, which opens the narrative. Moreover, in the "present-twenty-four hours" parts of the book (which are really in the 60s and 70s), Ratigan provides a snapshot of a vanished time in the history of Great Lakes aircraft.

Ratigan's labor of love is deeply-flawed. It is a volume that is best read while in the shadow of the lakes themselves when, caught in their spell, these pages can work their magic.

...more

Mar 01, 2009 South.L. Ratigan rated it it was amazing

This was my father'due south last volume. Growing up I remember seeing oars, and other droppings from the Carl D. Bradley shipwreck around the firm. The significance of them really never dawned on me. So later when the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwrecked, that was later added to the book. When the vocal well-nigh it was written and sung by Gordon Lightfoot, he really came over to our house and sang the song for my mom and dad every bit he played my grandmothers pianoforte. I could but barely see the pride and joy he was feel This was my father'south last book. Growing up I remember seeing oars, and other debris from the Carl D. Bradley shipwreck around the business firm. The significance of them actually never dawned on me. So afterward when the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwrecked, that was later added to the volume. When the song near it was written and sung by Gordon Lightfoot, he actually came over to our firm and sang the vocal for my mom and dad every bit he played my grandmothers piano. I could simply barely see the pride and joy he was feeling watching this. I had no thought how fortunate I was at the time to experience that. And I was never really able to capeesh what a bully writer he was until I matured more as an adult.

My father was a writer, and a very good one at that. I had a lot to live up to if I was going to even endeavour to write a book. It meant a lot to me to write the best possible book that I could in order to make him proud, and pass on as much helpful information to people equally possible. I self published it in 2009. Information technology has many of my life experiences woven into it. It surprised me how much of your life you share when you write a volume. Some of it is very personal, and you don't know the person on the other side finding out all these things about your life. Then I have a new found appreciation of what writers must become through. Information technology gives you a whole new perspective when you lot're the author and not the reader!

Shannon Ratigan

...more than

October 23, 2014 Jim Erekson rated it really liked information technology

This was an absolute favorite for our 2d and 3rd graders in Marianne McWhirter's class in Dimondale, Michigan. We used to sing the song Christmas Tree Ship in class all the time, and because each of the episodes presented in the volume is and so short, it was very readable fifty-fifty by our young children. A lot of the time, that's the hugger-mugger with hard text. If it's short enough, kids will figure it out. It's a keen book for challenging the idea of levels based on text alone (vocabulary, grammar), an This was an accented favorite for our 2nd and 3rd graders in Marianne McWhirter'due south class in Dimondale, Michigan. We used to sing the vocal Christmas Tree Ship in class all the time, and because each of the episodes presented in the volume is so short, it was very readable fifty-fifty by our young children. A lot of the time, that'southward the secret with hard text. If it's short plenty, kids will figure it out. It's a great book for challenging the idea of levels based on text lone (vocabulary, grammar), and not considering motivation and engagement in the formula. ...more

This book was non what I expected, but still a decent book. The first section was promising with heady stories of shipwrecks, but it tended to get watered downwards with repetition, dramatic prose, and an over abundance of news on shipping. I would say this book is more of a history of shipping on the Great Lakes that stops in the 70s rather than an exciting volume about shipwrecks on the lakes. One thing that bothered me was that the author continuously compared wrecks to the wreck of the Bradley, This volume was non what I expected, simply still a decent volume. The commencement section was promising with exciting stories of shipwrecks, but it tended to get watered downwards with repetition, dramatic prose, and an over abundance of news on shipping. I would say this book is more than of a history of shipping on the Great Lakes that stops in the 70s rather than an heady book near shipwrecks on the lakes. One thing that bothered me was that the writer continuously compared wrecks to the wreck of the Bradley, to the bespeak that it got a trivial abrasive. ...more

Nov 09, 2020 Lisa rated it liked it

This book is mostly engagingly written, with fascinating stories of Peachy Lakes naval history. Unfortunately, it'due south poorly ordered and expects you to retrieve transport names across dozens of pages without a handy reference table. The last section, after the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, likewise feels more like an bookish paper than part of this book. It's by and large enjoyable... just in that location may be other similar books that tell the stories equally well in a better organized manner.

November 16, 2020 Jon rated it actually liked it

This was a highly entertaining read, especially post-obit upwardly on that book virtually the survival of the Nifty Lakes. Reading nigh all of the shipwrecks throughout the years really put the dangerous side of the lakes into perspective. If I had a complaint, it would be that Ratigan has a beloved of imperial prose and spends a lot of fourth dimension telling us what long dead folks were thinking and/or doing without the benefit of proof, but I'm certain information technology helped to make this more than readable. This was a highly entertaining read, especially following upward on that volume virtually the survival of the Neat Lakes. Reading about all of the shipwrecks throughout the years really put the dangerous side of the lakes into perspective. If I had a complaint, it would be that Ratigan has a love of purple prose and spends a lot of time telling us what long dead folks were thinking and/or doing without the do good of proof, but I'k certain information technology helped to make this more readable. ...more than

Jan 18, 2022 finn :-) rated it it was amazing

i read this book for the first time when i was similar seven and it goes so hard. gordon lightfoot's "the wreck of the edmund fitzgerald" wipes all modern music. DOES anyone know where the love of god goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
5/five everyone should read this book multiple times in their life

Some very big unnamed heroes stories are told in this book. Which were fascinating but there was a lot of redundancies in the book specially toward the stop that made it a slower read and difficult to terminate. All the excitement was in the outset of the book.

Interesting, but not real engaging. Lesson learned: don't sail the Great Lakes in Nov! Interesting, but not existent engaging. Lesson learned: don't sail the Smashing Lakes in November! ...more

I had no idea that there had been that many shipwrecks on the Great Lakes or that and then many people had died. The reading was "dry" at times but the detail was bully and the stories quite interesting. I had no thought that there had been that many shipwrecks on the Corking Lakes or that so many people had died. The reading was "dry out" at times merely the particular was great and the stories quite interesting. ...more

Wonderful drove of true Great Lakes shipwreck stories. Written in a compelling way. Very enjoyable read.

Interesting information though at times a little dry.

An older book. 1st edition, 1960; 2d edition 1977 and covers the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Author goes thru history of lost ships since western europeans came to the expanse.

Focused on the worst storms equally of 1975, what happened and what happened to ships. Also addressed fire tragedies.

Tales of bully rescues and survivors, and when all attempts failed.

Readable.

Got information technology when visiting Cleveland in August 2014.

I'm inclined to take the historical accuracy of these narratives with a grain of salt. William Ratigan, whom the cover describes every bit a writer of "historical novels and imaginative biographies", doesn't accept the air of someone who sets a loftier priority on checking first-hand sources and technical data; he just likes to tell stories. This he does with an extravagance of dramatic flourishes such equally this: "The huge steamboat'southward owners... had scheduled this as her terminal trip of the year — a schedule on westward I'1000 inclined to have the historical accuracy of these narratives with a grain of salt. William Ratigan, whom the comprehend describes every bit a writer of "historical novels and imaginative biographies", doesn't take the air of someone who sets a high priority on checking first-hand sources and technical data; he only likes to tell stories. This he does with an extravagance of dramatic flourishes such as this: "The huge steamboat's owners... had scheduled this equally her concluding trip of the year — a schedule on which fate itself was to stamp grim approval." This sort of matter, along with the obligatory sentimentality and stereotypes of the human parts of the tales, gets very wearisome chop-chop; I constitute that I couldn't finish the volume. However, there are some good descriptions of the landscapes (waterscapes) and weather of the region, and some cases where Ratigan picks out simply the right detail to enliven the story. As a bonus, the book is very attractively designed and printed. ...more

Aug 19, 2011 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Really great read for anyone interested in the Great Lakes, history, boating (or, like me, all three). Ratigan's style is both flowery and epic -- he speedily had me wanting to say "aarr!" at the finish of every chapter. (I know, I know . . . too many Pirates of the Caribbean movies!) His lack of whatsoever sort of chronological organization was kind of befuddling at beginning, but in one case I started simply letting the stories wash over me like waves on beach, I quit being bothered by it. A fabulous end-of-summertime re Actually great read for anyone interested in the Great Lakes, history, boating (or, like me, all iii). Ratigan's style is both flowery and epic -- he quickly had me wanting to say "aarr!" at the end of every affiliate. (I know, I know . . . too many Pirates of the Caribbean movies!) His lack of any sort of chronological system was kind of befuddling at starting time, but one time I started just letting the stories wash over me like waves on embankment, I quit being bothered by it. A fabulous finish-of-summer read. ...more

Aug 11, 2016 Loraine rated it information technology was ok

I was sadly disappointed in this book. I'm used to reading historical non- fiction, and this was so full of opinions and assumptions about the people involved that it well-nigh read like bad fiction. The stories were interesting, but would take been then much ameliorate to read if the author hadn't been writing fourscore% opinions about the shipwrecks and 20% history. I was sadly disappointed in this book. I'm used to reading historical non- fiction, and this was so full of opinions and assumptions almost the people involved that it nigh read like bad fiction. The stories were interesting, but would accept been so much meliorate to read if the author hadn't been writing 80% opinions well-nigh the shipwrecks and xx% history. ...more than

Nov 04, 2014 KVB1 rated it liked information technology

Pretty good of you're into Michigan history and are familiar with the lakes. Pretty good of you're into Michigan history and are familiar with the lakes. ...more than

Jan 22, 2008 Sara rated it really liked information technology

I've read this book several times because I was obsessed with shipwrecks like the Edmund Fitzgerald! I've read this book several times because I was obsessed with shipwrecks like the Edmund Fitzgerald! ...more

Sep 03, 2011 uh8myzen rated it it was amazing

Anyone with fifty-fifty a passing interest in nautical life and history should love this book.

Nov 16, 2015 Kay Schuch rated it really liked it

Fascinating read on the history of the Great Lakes! I have a whole new understanding of how crawly they are as individual lakes and as a whole! Who knew?

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