The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Michael Schumacher
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Michael Schumacher
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The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Eyewitness Accounts from the US Coast Guard Hearings

Author: Michael Schumacher

Narrator: Traber Burns

Unabridged: 10 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/24/2020


Synopsis

A documentary drawn from testimony at the Coast Guard’s official inquiry looks anew at one of the most storied, and mysterious, shipwrecks in American historyThe sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most famous shipwreck stories in Great Lakes history. It is also one of maritime lore’s great mysteries, the details of its disappearance as obscure now as on that fateful November day in 1975. The investigation into the wreck, resulting in a controversial final report, generated more than three thousand pages of documentation, a mere fraction of which has been made available to the public. In The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Michael Schumacher mines this rich resource to produce the first-ever documentary account, a companion to his popular narrative Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.In the words of search and rescue personnel, ship designers and inspectors, scientists and naval engineers, former crewmen of the Fitz and the Arthur M. Anderson (the nearby ore carrier that captured the damaged vessel’s last communications), The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald recreates the doomed ore boat’s final minutes, the suspense of the search and rescue operations, and the drama of the subsequent Coast Guard inquiry. From the Anderson’s captain and first mate we hear reports of the Fitzgerald taking on water in the fierce storm near Michipicoten and Caribou Islands, losing its radar, and stating, finally, famously, “We are holding our own.” We follow the investigation, the speculation, and expert testimony to a problematic conclusion—countered by an alternate theory that the Anderson’s captain maintained to his dying day.By declaring the Edmund Fitzgerald an official gravesite, Canada closed the wreck to further exploration. But here the exploration continues, providing a unique, and uniquely enlightening, perspective on this unforgettable episode in America’s maritime history.

About Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher has written four previous books on Great Lakes shipwrecks: Mighty Fitz, November’s Fury, Torn in Two (all from Minnesota), and Wreck of the Carl D. He has written narratives for twenty-five Great Lakes shipwreck and lighthouse documentary films. He lives in Wisconsin.

About Traber Burns

Read by Traber Burns, Keith Szarabajka, Adenrele Ojo, Kevin Kenerly, Hillary Huber, Carrington MacDuffie, Mirron Willis, Kirby Heyborne, Priya Ayyar, Neil Shah, Thom Rivera, and Scott Brick


Reviews

Goodreads review by Ken on November 21, 2022

If you're expecting a clear-cut reason why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10,1975, you're not going to find it here. Instead, Schumacher presents testimony from hearings about the incident and then, at the end, provides thorough documentation from several investigatory sources. T......more

Goodreads review by Joseph A. Machado on July 14, 2024

This companion book to the authors "Mighty Fitz" is essential to understand the different points of view of the cause of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. The charts in the Kindle edition are not very readable, so I also ordered the paperback book. The arguments on all sides about the reason......more

Goodreads review by Aaron M. Packnick on February 05, 2025

After hearing about the Edmund Fitzgerald for years, I realized I didn't really know what happened. This book gives deep into the investigation and reports, pretty much consolidating them word for word. It started to get a bit repetitive and could have been better served by summaries, consolidation,......more

Goodreads review by Emily on December 29, 2022

Definitely not the easiest to read because of all of the language. The trial was much easier to read than the second part of the book but I very much enjoy the history of the Edmund Fitzgerald & all maritime so I enjoyed the book......more

Goodreads review by Lana on November 17, 2020

The testimony of the "Master" of the Arthur Anderson is really quite riveting.......more


Quotes

“If you think you have read everything there is that’s worth reading on the Fitzgerald, think again. Once you start reading, it will be hard to put down.” Detroit Marine Historian

“Thanks to The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald, readers are privy to the thoughts of crew members of other ships, not to mention ship designers, inspectors, naval engineers and search & rescue personnel, all of whom provided their perspective to investigators in the wake of the accident.” Failure Magazine