Great Lakes historian Schumacher (Mighty Fitz: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
) profiles another nautical tragedy. The Carl D. Bradley
, a 638-foot limestone carrier, sank to Lake Michigan’s cold bottom 50 years ago this November. Known as the “Queen of the Stone-Carrying Fleet,” it was the most expensive wreck in the history of the Great Lakes, totaling $8 million. The human cost was far greater, as many of the 33 deceased lived in one city, the ship’s port of Rogers City, Mich. Schumacher is a rigorous reporter and researcher, covering the ship’s shaky state, the harrowing wreck and risky rescue with assurance and clarity. There are a few missteps, a chapter on the wreck of the Cedarville
in 1965 feeling like padding. By profiling the Carl D.
’s crew and detailing their lives in Rogers City, Schumacher gives a human face to the tragedy, infusing the book with dramatic substance to match the riveting narrative. (Nov.)
