Wreck of the Carl D.: A True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea - Hardcover

Schumacher, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 159691484X ISBN 13: 9781596914841

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2008

Synopsis

By the author of Mighty Fitz, the dramatic account of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley on Lake Michigan, published on the fiftieth anniversary of the wreck.

At approximately 5:30 P.M. on November 18, 1958, the Carl D. Bradley, a 623-foot limestone carrier caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history, snapped in two and sank within minutes. Four of the thirty-five man crew escaped to a small raft, where they hung on in total darkness, braving massive waves and frigid temperatures. As the storm raged on, a search-and-rescue mission hunted for survivors, while the frantic citizens of nearby Rogers City, the tiny Michigan hometown to twenty-six members of the Bradley crew, anxiously awaited word of their loved ones' fates.

In Wreck of the Carl D., Michael Schumacher reconstructs, in dramatic detail, the tragic accident, the perilous search-and-rescue mission, and the chilling aftermath for the small town so intimately affected by the tragedy. A fitting tribute to a powerful ship, the men who died aboard it, and the town that still mourns its loss, Schumacher's compelling follow up to Mighty Fitz is a wonderful addition to the literature of the Great Lakes and maritime history.

About this title

About the Author

Michael Schumacher is the author of nine books, including Family Business, Francis Ford Coppola, There but for Fortune, Crossroads, Dharma Lion, Mighty Fitz, and, most recently, Mr. Basketball. He lives in Wisconsin.

Reviews

Great Lakes historian Schumacher (Mighty Fitz: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald) profiles another nautical tragedy. The Carl D. Bradley, a 638-foot limestone carrier, sank to Lake Michigan's cold bottom 50 years ago this November. Known as the "Queen of the Stone-Carrying Fleet," it was the most expensive wreck in the history of the Great Lakes, totaling $8 million. The human cost was far greater, as many of the 33 deceased lived in one city, the ship's port of Rogers City, Mich. Schumacher is a rigorous reporter and researcher, covering the ship's shaky state, the harrowing wreck and risky rescue with assurance and clarity. There are a few missteps, a chapter on the wreck of the Cedarville in 1965 feeling like padding. By profiling the Carl D.'s crew and detailing their lives in Rogers City, Schumacher gives a human face to the tragedy, infusing the book with dramatic substance to match the riveting narrative. (Nov.)
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This chronicle of the November 1958 sinking of the limestone carrier Carl D. Bradley in Lake Michigan is sure to appeal to the many fans of Junger’s The Perfect Storm (1997). Almost the entire crew of 35 died when the ship was literally torn in half during a fierce storm; the book recounts the incident and its tragic aftermath, including a dramatic search-and-rescue effort. It’s a poignant story, made even more poignant by the fact that most of the crew’s families lived in the same small town, Rogers City; this isn’t just a story about a tragedy on the water, but about an entire town coming to terms with the sudden loss of so many of its friends and family. Schumacher, the author of several nonfiction books including Mighty Fitz (2005), about the more famous sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, writes with a steady hand, never letting the drama or emotion of the moment overwhelm the storytelling. A solid and sometimes heartbreaking addition to the maritime-tragedy genre. --David Pitt

Edition details

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 159691484X
• ISBN 13: 9781596914841
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272