Finalist Foreword Book of the Year Young Adult Nonfiction Michigan's "storms of November" are famous in song, lore, and legend and have taken a tragic toll, breaking the hulls of many ships and sending them to cold, dark, and silent graves on the bottoms of the Great Lakes. On November 18, 1958, when the limestone carrier Carl D. Bradley broke up during a raging storm on Lake Michigan, it became the largest ship in Great Lakes' history to vanish beneath storm-tossed waves. Along with the Bradley , thirty-three crew members perished. Most of the casualties hailed from the little harbor town of Rogers City, Michigan, a community that was stung with grief when, in an instant, twenty-three women became widows and fifty-three children were left fatherless. Nevertheless, this is also a story of survival, as it recounts the tale of two of the ship's crew, whose fifteen-hour ordeal on a life raft, in gale-force winds and 25 foot waves, is a remarkable story of endurance and tenacity.       Written in an appealing style that is accessible to all readers and complemented with an insert of historical photographs, Black November is a tale of adventure, courage, heroism, and tragedy. Kantar, the author of 29 Missing , a Michigan Notable book about the loss of the Great Lakes freighter the Edmund Fitzgerald  has once again crafted a dramatic narrative that is both informative and compelling. Although the Carl D. Bradley has been called "the ship that time forgot," Black November recalls that tragic event that occurred more than sixty years ago and is a moving tribute to the ship and its crew. "Black November captivates readers, putting them right in the pilothouse of the Bradley during those fateful minutes before she 'took the plunge' to the bottom of Lake Michigan." --Frederick Stonehouse, author, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and Great Lakes Lighthouse Tales. "Andrew Kantar does an admirable job of describing the almost unbearable sadness that settled over Rogers City when word came that there were only two survivors. The pain is still there, just below the surface. I shed some tears reading about that Black November." --Mark Thompson, author, A Sailor's Logbook and Graveyard of the Lakes "This remarkably clear account of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley . . . is enriched by the description of events that led up to the disastrous end. Kantar gives the necessary context for the tragedy, with crucial information about the condition of the ship and and the weather on that stormy November day. Perhaps most important, he provides a description of the personal qualities of the two men who survived, their courage in the face of almost insurmountable odds, and the sadness that engulfed the small community that lost so many brave men." --Dianne L. Monson, Professor Emerita, University of Minnesota "Andrew Kantar's riveting account of shipwreck, tragedy and survival captures the real life-and-death struggle of sailors caught in a classic Great Lakes November gale. Kantar takes you on an emotional journey into the minds of the dying, the survivors and the unbearable sorrow borne by a small Michigan community who suffered the loss of so many of their own brothers, husbands, fathers, and sons. A story of tragedy and triumph detailed through meticulous research and personal interviews that makes your heart ache and your spirit soar for those who survived in spite of Lake Michigan's dark side."--Thomas Farnquist, Past Executive Director, Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society ALSO OF INTEREST: 29 Missing: The True and Tragic Story of the Disappearance of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald Born and raised in Minneapolis, Andy Kantar is the author of a trilogy of Great Lakes shipwreck books written primarily for young adults. Together, they tell the stories of the three largest ships lost on the three largest Great Lakes. His first book, 29 Missing, was designated a Michigan Notable Book for young adults and Black November was a finalist for the Foreword Book of the Year (Young Adult Nonfiction) and a major source for an Emmy-winning documentary. Deadly Voyage was sponsored by the Michigan Humanities Council for One Book One County Reads. Game Face, a middle grade basketball novel, Bronze Medal in the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and for more than 30 years was an English professor and director of the Writing Center at Ferris State University (Michigan). As a Fulbright Scholar to Norway, he taught for two years at the Norwegian Institute of Technology where he established doctoral coursework in scientific writing. He is currently retired and lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Fran. Used Book in Good Condition