Trista, Korten has delivered an amazing account of the terrifying hurricane Joaquin that caught two ships in its path. Well researched and written, I felt a variety of emotions while reading about the El Faro and the Minouche. I was amazed that the Coast Guard could send a helicopter into the hurricane let alone drop a basket with a rescuer to get the crew off of the Minouche. Unfortunately, the El Faro did not fair as well. I was glued to this book but did need to put it aside several times as I needed to breathe.

If you enjoy the Terror, you will enjoy Into the Storm.

Terrifying and best of all- nonfiction. Just read it.

"Into the Storm" is a nonfiction account of three stories: 2 ships that came into horrific danger during Hurricane Joaquin, and the Coast Guard rescue team that was there to assist.

What's good: The author's writing is smooth and easy, keeping the prose lively without making a nonfiction book fictional. The actual stories told are fascinating and the structure of the book, particularly the final sequence, quite compelling. The book's conclusions are powerful without being heavy-handed.

What's iffier: The start of the book is a bit slow. Perhaps it is my morbid self, but in opening a book called "Into the Storm," you're a little less patient with the stories of who the people were (even though for obvious reasons you ought to be!)

Note: This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley.

Well written and as you'd want it, very scary. For those landlubbers among us this narration makes us feel really really comfortable to be able to snuggle up with a nice cup of tea and read about how it is for folks who will go take their chances out on the water. The characters are well fleshed out and the circumstances are fascinating. I give this one 100%

Nonfiction that is as exciting as a James Patterson bestseller. The story of two life altering experiences with drastically different endings. Seeing the storm through so many different eyes leaves you feeling you are there. Emotional on so many levels!

I'm giving it 4 stars because it's not the books fault that I don't like tragedies. When I realized that it was only a partial rescue, I thought, "why do I do this to myself?".

It's hard to feel angry at Captain Davidson, but it's also hard not to. There was so much that went wrong; it's unbelievably frustrating. When everything is done right and there's an accident, it's an accident. But when thing after thing could have been done differently and maybe people wouldn't have died, it's so sad.

The book was well-researched. There were times the level of detail actually got a little boring for me, because I don't know military or weather and honestly don't really care, but it shows the care the author took. There is some language, because Korten wrote what the sailors said. I did not care for the few times the author got political, the biggest time was at the end, because I don't think it was necessary to the story.

I was interested in this story because I really enjoyed The Finest Hours. This was not as good as that, in my opinion. But it was still a well-done book, which is why I gave it four stars.

Deadly storm, courageous pilots and reuse swimmers, show the day to day life of the Coast Guard and how they put their lives at risk everyday, A page turner that will keep you on the edge of your set and will pull you into the story , a must read . With that said I want to say thanks Netgalley for letting me read and review Into the Storm and for finding me a new author to read in change for my honest opinion

Into the Storm was a very informative read, from the role of the Coast Guard in rescues to the coverage of storms by various types of aircraft, but done in a non-clinical, readable way. The families of the crewmen involved were interviewed and their stories told from from all angles.The decisions made by two experienced sea captains of two different vessels had different outcomes, but all the reasons were explored as to why. The book was well- researched, written, and a fast- paced read.

The author did a very good job of explaining what it's like in the ocean when storms are threatening crew & ships. For many people they never even consider what's happening in the ocean at this time or what it might be like. Coming from a military family I completely understand the struggles, the determination and zeal to save lives in the midst of chaos.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a gripping edge of your seat story, and those who enjoy military books.
I was offered this book from netgalley in exchange for my review and I appreciate it. I look forward to more from this author in the future.

Some disaster stories are unputdownable, and this book certainly was, once the hurricane hits. It does take a while for the thing to hit, though. And because the time was split between two ships and a cavalcade of characters, I had a little trouble keeping track at first.

Nevertheless, it was well-written and teaches a lot about search-and-rescue and its aftermath (i.e., everyone sues each other). If you've ever thought about being a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, read this first. And if you like buying cheap goods made all over the globe, don't complain if shippers cut some safety corners.

Kept me on the edge of my seat, a definite page turner. Weather events fascinate me, especially water weather events (I love a good thunderstorm), so this story was right up my alley. Both terrifying and heart-breaking, this is a fascinating story that seems well-researched with actual transcribed audio from the event as well. I also love reading about the brave men and women who risk their lives to help others and the Coast Guard played a major role, definitely some nail-biting moments. I know little about the cargo shipping industry and this book educated me on this a bit as well. An overall good, interesting read.

I wasn't sure if I would like this as I followed the news accounts concerning the El Faro closely but I was not disappointed. Great detail with a "Perfect Storm" feeling of helplessness as you read. I am not saying the Coasties will ever be Rambo but anyone who sails INTO the storm to rescue is a hero in any society! Great NF!

In 2015, two ships, El Faro and Minouche are on a routine run to deliver goods to nearby ports. After loading up and checking the weather, they leave for their separate destinations. Little do they know that Hurricane Joaquin is not following a pattern and the crews of these ships are in a terrible battle when they are caught in the storm.

This was a very well written and researched book. These ships were caught unawares and the Coast Guard risked their lives to try and save them. I learned a lot about the Coast Guard and how they put their lives on the line to save others. It is amazing to me that they can go into situations that other people avoid like the plague. There is a lot of interesting information in this book that is not tied down with minute details to make it drag.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have posted a review on Goodreads and Amazon.

Dates read 4/23-4/24

Into The Storm by Tristram Korten

This is a nail biting, intense read by Tristram Korten, great job by this Author, hard to believe this is his debut novel. Awesome research, interviews, background on two doomed ships. This is about two ships the El Faro carrying 33 and the Minouche carrying several sailors. The El Faro was in route from Jacksonville, Florida to San Juan. Both ships got caught up in Joaquin a category 4 hurricane in the fall of 2015. Also included is the extraordinary search and rescue of the coast guard and rescue swimmer Ben Cournia. We learn from storm tracker Sat-C in text format that the winds went from 60-130 plus quite rapidly, Mr Korten takes us through the history of both ships, their crews, their families, Ben Cournia and the power of nature. It is interesting learning about the ship terms like scuttle board, port list and QI. It's a shame about the El Faro ship, Captain Michael Davidson is responsible for that crew and didn't listen about not going near hurricane till too late. It's also a blessing he didn't abandon his crew., but still didn't end well.
My dad was in the Navy many years, this book made me question his history on ships and hurricanes. I am familiar with Camden N.J. as I have worked there and lived in Jacksonville . I love how Mr. Korten gives us the end result of this tragedy in an epilogue way, the last 26 hours recording of the El Faro last moments and follow up with crews family. This would make a great movie and book bestseller.

Thank you Net Gallery, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine.
#NetGallery #IntoTheStorm

Cherie'

I found this to be a wonderful read. Just a well researched and intensely laid out the book to read about the late September 2015 storm Joaquin which repeatedly defied expected patterns as some storms will do, and became a hurricane. As some captains made directional changes in order to avoid Joaquin, it seemed that the hurricane kept changing too. Eventually, those who didn’t stay on their toes were caught off guard by one circumstance or another and were in for a battle. The book got quite exciting as the tension keeps building along with Joaquin’s power.

Having lived in Florida and Georgia for the past 30 plus years, I’ve been through a few of these storms, Thankfully most have been worn down a good bit by the time they have gone over my area. There were a couple of exceptions when I lived in Florida though and they are something you don’t forget. I was in central Florida when Andrew blasted south Florida so badly and we all remember what those areas looked like afterward for such a long time as they eventually got around to rebuilding. The thought of going through it on the open water is simply horrifying, even if you are in a ship or a plane or chopper.

The authorities managed to keep tabs on two ships that were having difficulty and the trouble continued to be confirmed at other points during the storm, until one ship, the larger of the two at 790-foot, the El Faro lost communication completely. The El Faro carried a crew of 33. Both of the ships were in distress though and had to signal for help during the hurricane. The Minouche, a 230-foot freighter with a dozen sailors on it was taking on water, and when the engine died they were in serious trouble in the storm.

"Into the Storm" gives an excellent accounting of the rescue capabilities of the Coast Guard with their steady and patient pilots and rescue swimmers with all of their amazing training and abilities behind them when they set out to help people in need. I don’t know if a story like this has already been done as a movie, but it would make a good one if it hasn’t already. This is just the kind of non-fiction book that keeps me reading this genre and looking for more books like it, as they are so thrilling. An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley and author Tristam Korten for my unbiased review.

Ballantine Books
Publication: April 24, 2018

One of the best maritime disaster books I've read, partly because it's so timely.

Korten does a good job of providing brief bios of many of the people involved, which helps personalize their dangers and, in some cases, deaths. Especially good are the technical details of hurricane prediction, warnings, and the management of the ships in dire circumstances. No punches are pulled in detailing the condition of the old vessels, or in reporting the decisions and actions of the captains and officers. Korten neither glorifies heroic deeds, nor excoriates those who clearly made mistakes. He lets their actions speak for themselves. In the case of the _El Faro_ we hear the verbatim conversations from the bridge voice recorder.

In short, excellent objective reporting.

Wow sad story of loss of life do to poor decisions and lack of responsibility. I could not put the book down waiting to find out what the outcome would be. As a boater it had even more significance on how decisions can be made for all the wrong reasons and lead to loss of life.
The author does a good job of leading up historically to the time of the storm. I have a much greater understanding now of the logistics and workings of the freighting industry.

This is the second book on the events of Hurricane Joaquin that I've read recently. This one has a broader focus that I think gives a lot of context to the events. It's well written, with a lot of information from first hand interviews and is a very engaging read. I would recommend it for anyone interested in understanding more about some of the variations in commercial shipping in the US as well as anyone interested in understanding how the Coast Guard approaches these types of events.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Random House/Ballantine and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was very good, maybe I’d even rate it excellent. The storytelling was on a par with A Perfect Storm and there were a lot of similarilities in the stories (unfortunately for the individuals involved). I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys nonfiction and even more so to those who enjoy a nature/man against nature story.

Tristram Korten's Into the Storm is a riveting account of the search and rescue effort to save the crews of two ships lost in Hurricane Joaquin in the fall of 2015. The El Faro and the Minouche are trying to move cargo across the Caribbean as the storm grows in intensity. Korten follows the actions and decisions of each captain using extensive interviews and the ships’ Voyage Data Recorders.
The first several chapters of Into the Storm provide a very readable primer of Coast Guard history, open-ocean shipping, and the basic science behind weather forecasting. Korten strikes the perfect balance between background and narrative, even breaking up the narrative at times to heighten the suspense. Working with a large cast of characters can be very difficult for an author and likewise for a reader to follow, but Korten does a good job in creating authentic and memorable depictions of each participant. There isn’t any editorializing in the book, and his exhaustive research allows the reader to come to his or her own conclusions.
Overall, I highly recommend this first-class nonfiction thriller to anyone who enjoys the work of John Krakauer, Erik Larson, and Sebastian Junger.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Mr. Korten for an advanced copy to review.