Exploration
Fifty years after the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, bestselling author John U. Bacon revisits the tragedy that changed Great Lakes history
“From 1875 to 1975, there were 6,000 shipwrecks on the Great Lakes — one a week for a century. Everyone remembers one: the Edmund Fitzgerald. And that’s because of the song.”
— John U. Bacon, Explore Podcast
This year marks 50 years since the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the most famous shipwreck in Great Lakes history. In this episode of Explore, host David McGuffin welcomes back John U. Bacon, New York Times bestselling author of The Great Halifax Explosion, Cirque du Soleil: The Spark and The Greatest Comeback about the 1972 Canada–Soviet hockey Summit Series.
In this conversation, Bacon discusses his latest book, Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which revisits the tragedy that claimed 29 lives on Lake Superior and inspired Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Through rich storytelling and meticulous research, Bacon brings new insight into the ship’s storied history, its legendary Canadian captain, and the perilous world of Great Lakes shipping, where danger, devotion and duty collide with the power of nature. Bacon also explores the human stories behind the headlines and the Gordon Lightfoot song that has kept the memory alive for half a century.
The conversation also explores the haunting story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which is often called the “Titanic of the Great Lakes.” Then, we dive into the brutal realities of Great Lakes shipping and why navigating these inland seas can be even more perilous than the open ocean. You’ll hear about Captain Ernest McSorley’s fateful final voyage, the mystery that still surrounds that November night, and how Gordon Lightfoot’s iconic ballad immortalized the tragedy and honoured the lost crew. We also reflect on the enduring importance of the Great Lakes, a lifeline that continues to shape North America’s history, economy, and identity.
The episode closes with a touching reflection on the late Ken Dryden, the Hall of Fame goaltender, author, politician and poet laureate of hockey, whom Bacon got to know when profiling him for The Greatest Comeback, Bacon’s earlier book on the ’72 Summit series.
The bells ringing during the interview and at the end of the episode were recorded on May 2, 2023, at the Mariners Church in Detroit. They rang 30 times, once for each of the 29 men lost aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald, and once more for Gordon Lightfoot.
History
Fifty years ago this November, the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald went down in a fierce storm on Lake Superior, with all hands lost. In this excerpt from his new book The Gales of November, journalist John U. Bacon reveals the fateful decision that put the mighty ship on the path to disaster.
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