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Originally posted by Sig209:
thanks !

will be on the lookout for it -- fairly new book ?

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Originally posted by Bulldog7972:
Thanks Gonzo. I'm fascinated by the maritime shipping industry especially in the Great Lakes (which I am told that can be worse than the oceans as far as violent seas)and will pick this book up.

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Bryan
3.0 out of 5 starsGripping read, but author feels compelled to inject partisan politics into the story
January 4, 2019
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
Into the Storm is a good book – it is well written account and tells the gripping story of Hurricane Joaquin and the loss of 33 lives on the SS El Faro in the storm.

While this book is a good contrast of two ships – one that survived the storm and one that did not, what makes this book only “good” rather than “great” is the author’s insistence on injecting his personal political views into the conclusions. Instead of analyzing what the two captain and crews did differently to help mariners learn from the mistakes that were made, the author concludes responsibility must be placed on Republicans and global warming. Really?

Here is an excerpt:
“…in the United States, powerful politicians in the Republican Party—congressmen, senators, and governors—refuse to acknowledge the threats of climate change or act in any way to lower carbon emissions, the one thing humans could do to try to offset our contribution to rising global temperatures. They have not engaged in a dialogue about what we should or can do, nor have they made much of an attempt to explain the evidence on which they base their denial. For more than eight years, congressional committees in the House of Representatives that could deal with the issue have routinely prevented federal action on climate change. Throughout his two terms in office, Rick Scott, the Republican governor of Florida—the state most susceptible to rising sea levels as well as hurricanes—prohibited the terms “climate change” and “global warming” from even being used by state agencies. Every passing minute of their inaction increases their responsibility for the safety of first responders and others affected by hurricanes, historic floods, and wildfires.”

The captain of the El Faro made a navigational mistake and literally sailed into the middle of a Category 4 hurricane, rather than away from it, but the author places blame on the Governor of Florida?

If the author had just focused on telling the story, this would have been a great book – but injecting divisive partisan politics into the story significantly detracts from the ultimate conclusions.

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Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Did you notice any of that at all?

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Originally posted by TheGreatGonzo:
He only waved his political flag at the very end of the book. I was able to skim right through his rhetoric and, for me, it did not detract from an excellent book.