Into the Raging Sea
Praise
Tina Jordan, NYT Book Review staff picks for 2018
“Incredible.”
“Slade’s book is a chance to name—via unprecedented firsthand sourcing from the ship’s accident recorder, its black box—and call to the fore the forces that robbed these mariners of their lives, a cry that should be heeded by anyone who cares about a fellow human.”
“Slade's account of the El Faro tragedy is a cautionary tale for leaders who think they have all the answers, for employees who choose not to speak up... and for organizations that rely on systems and processes that don't provide the information its people need to make the best decisions.”
“Rachel Slade's book sucked me in. There's no other way to put it. I devoured it in three days, engrossed by her dramatic re-creation of the worst American maritime disaster in 40 years. In addition to a gripping narrative…Slade explains the fascinating world of commercial shipping and the essential – but often hidden – role it plays in our economy.”
Tina Jordan, New York Times
“What's the 'it' book of summer going to be? Rachel Slade's Into the Raging Sea.”
“Excellent and gripping...Slade does an incisive and compelling job explaining what happened to the El Faro, cutting between the doomed voyage, the backgrounds of the crew, the story of American shipping, the incompetent and venal owners, and the would-be rescuers and investigators.”
Gilbert Cruz, Culture Editor, New York Times
“Slade was able to put together a sea disaster tale unlike any other...All of the small errors of judgment, all of the overconfidence and complacency that led to the disaster are on full display, straight from the doomed mariners’ mouths. It makes for an exciting, terrifying and deeply sad story.”
“Into the Raging Sea successfully, and very powerfully, navigates the difficult channel between insiders and outsiders. Slade's writing style will appeal to readers of nautical thrillers, interspersing a fast-paced narrative of what was actually happening aboard the vessel...with a rigorously researched backdrop covering commercial and regulatory issues.”
“Even for those who deal with these issues on a daily basis, this stirring book still shocks with the scale of the problems that it exposes. This is an important title, with lessons that extend far beyond the terrible tragedy that it describes.”
Captain Christopher J. Edyvean, National President of the American Merchant Marine Veterans
“If I could sum up this book in one word, it would be 'honest'; I don't believe a more accurate account of this story exists or will ever exist.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“This well-crafted and gripping account...frames the tragedy with a meticulous review of all the ways in which it could have been avoided...This is a painful and poignant narrative.”
“More than the story of how a ship was overcome by a storm, Into The Raging Sea is an allegory for what it means to be a part of the nation’s largely invisible working and middle class.”
“Rachel Slade's mastery of tension will leave your nerves twanging... Into the Raging Sea is an exceptional work.”
“With skillful narrative prose and sensitivity, Slade takes readers on the final voyage of the El Faro... Interwoven with the point-by-point timeline are insightful backstories of America’s shipping industry, the El Faro’s 41 years in service, and, most affectingly, her crew.”
“Slade has assembled a damning book...Market forces have created a shipping industry bent on wringing every penny out of a voyage, leading to an aging fleet, postponed repairs, budget cuts, understaffed crews and stressed captains.”
“A riveting sea story of disaster and death. Many readers will likely leave it at that, but Into the Raging Sea is so much more. It speaks to the struggles and challenges faced by all mariners making a living on the sea, and the impact our society has on people when it makes cold, detached decisions and laws based solely on economics and return on investment.”
Ben Mezrich, bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook