The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger is the story of a massive storm and its destructive path across the North Atlantic. At the end of October 1991, the crews of several different fishing vessels left their ports to carry out their last fishing trip. Little did they know that they would soon cross paths with one of the largest storms ever recorded. This particular storm would create huge swells, strong winds and heavy rain. The system was considered a "perfect storm" because all the elements came together to create the worst imaginable storm ever seen, "...a 100-year event," some meteorologists claimed. These types of storms occur when: “Warm air is less dense than cool air; it rises from the ocean surface, cools in the upper atmosphere, then releases its moisture before returning to earth. Huge cumulus clouds form over areas of rising air, with thunder, lightning and terribly heavy rain. As long as there is a supply of warm water, the storm persists, converting the moisture into driving rain and downslope winds. Other storm clouds could line up along the leading edge of a cold front to form a "squall line", an imposing convective engine that extends from horizon to horizon. 'other. (The Perfect Storm Foundation) Descriptions of fishing procedures and equipment are often confusing, they are an essential part of the plot. Which gives the reader a better insight into what these fishermen did. Without these details, readers would not be able to imagine the dangers of the storm as Junger intended. The book is interesting, but never melodramatic. There's just enough tension in the conflict between man and nature to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Junger never tries to saturate his readers with emotion to the point that they roll their eyes in disgust. It makes fear and despair realistic and believable. Junger achieves a delicate balance between the factual and fictional elements of the story. The cover immediately states in bold letters that The Perfect Storm is a true story. Junger's characters are extremely well developed. It no longer matters whether Junger exaggerated about a character's experiences. It allows readers to sympathize with Christina Cotter and fear for Bobby Shatford's safety. Each character's thoughts and emotions are incredibly real. My girlfriend pointed out to me that the book... middle of paper ...... damage occurred in New England, where federal disaster areas were declared in seven counties in Massachusetts, five in the Maine and one in New Hampshire. Off the coast of Staten Island, two men drowned when their boat capsized. Other deaths occurred when a man fishing from a bridge was blown or swept away in New York and a fisherman was swept off rocks in Narrangansett, RI, by strong waves. Offshore, six lives were lost in the sinking of the Andrea Gail, a swordfishing boat. Total damage from the Halloween storm, as it was called because of its date, was in the hundreds of millions of dollars. » The first part of the book focuses on the people and their relationships around the docks and their hometown. It gave an in-depth insight into the lives and psychological behaviors of fishermen. Given the overall length of the book, my first reaction to this focus on people was that it was too much. My second reaction was “perfect”. Less stress would have depersonalized the characters. Towards the end, the characters in the book all learned something about themselves from this storm. The fact that certain characters are not..