Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Death and Survival on the Georges Bank January 20, 2008
The Georges Bank lies about 120 miles east of Cape Cod. It is no place to be in a small boat; especially when the weather turns bad. Wind-driven waves building from the fetch of the Atlantic collide with the shallows beyond the continental shelf and can build to frightening proportions. And weather in the month of November on the Georges Bank can be extreme. Ordinarily, automated buoy data provide the National Weather Service with information that enables relatively accurate forcasting. But in November 1980 the National Data Center's Georges Bank Buoy, located 170 nM east of Hyannis, MA, was not functioning. It had not been for some time. With inadequate data, the National Weather Service issued a benign forecast. Based on this forecast, four deep sea lobster boats headed for the Georges Bank. They did not expect a killer storm packing 100 knot winds and 50-60 foot seas. One boat pitch-poled; it's lone survivor spent 50 frightening and misearable hours in a rubber raft before rescue. Another boat badly damaged by a rogue wave and leaking badly fought on and eventually limped back to port. Brave men and women of the U.S Coastguard, in spite of fatique and grave danger to themselves, doggedly attempted to rescue the crews of these vessels. Fatal Forecast is a story of survival, duty and triumph of the human spirit. The book is well-written and grabs you from the Prologue and does not let go. In fact, I read this book at a single sitting. I could not put it down. When I got to the end I read the Epilogue and even the author's notes. I did not want it to end.
Powerful account of nature's strength and man's incredible will to survive December 28, 2007
31 out of 56 found this review helpful
Probably my favorite catastrophe book yet! Very well written, making it so hard to put down once you start reading. I got this for Christmas and finished it within 3 days! Tougias not only rendered an awesome account of a real life dramatic fight for survival but also relayed vividly the other events that occurred in the lives of the men and families affected by the disaster at sea. A must read for those who enjoy seeing man triumph over the most trying adventure.
 Gripping story, but not quite The Perfect Storm October 10, 2007
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
Well written, gripping account of tragedy at sea. Worth reading if you like the "disaster book" genre, but not quite as good as The Perfect Storm.
Gripping adventure October 2, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
If you liked "The Perfect Storm," you'll love "Fatal Forecast."
Michael J. Tougias' book is a gripping page-turner about fisherman fighting for their lives amid a severe storm off the New England coast.
Tougias' taut storytelling puts the reader in the middle of the action. Like the best survival stories, you can feel yourself in the characters' place, trying to figure what to do next.
I also like that Tougias includes related stories of fishing boat disasters (and near-disasters).
I do have one small complaint. This book, like many of this type, includes a batch of pictures in the middle. I suppose it's cheaper to print the photos altogether like this rather than insert them at the appropriate place in the story. But in this case, if you look at the pictures (and what reader wouldn't?), some of them give away the ending of the book.
That said, it's still a great story. Allow yourself plenty of time when you pick up "Fatal Forecast" -- it's hard to put down.
Fatal Forecast September 21, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Spellbinding! An amazing true story of a fishing trip that turned into a disaster. Excellent writing and the author weaves multi-tales of many people caught in this non-forcasted storm. Very readable, the book you can't put down!
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