|The Author: Sebastian Junger|
|While writing his bestseller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger developed tremendous respect for the fishermen of Gloucester. With the success of the book, Sebastian wanted to give their children the kinds of opportunities he experienced growing up that made it possible for him to write The Perfect Storm. The hardships of the job, the skill and rugged commitment of those who make their living on the sea, inspired author Sebastian Junger to establish The Perfect Storm Foundation.|
|He formally lived in Gloucester, Mass. and is now living in New York City. He continues to write for several magizines that include: Outside, American Heritage, and Men's Journal. He also does a lot of writing for National Geographic His most recent publication is called "Fire". It was released in October of 2001 and describes an blazing, uncontrollable inferno in the hills of Idaho.|
|The hurricane season starts at approximately June 1 and ends around November 30.
A hurricane is defined as a violent warm core tropical storm and has a minimum wind speed of 74 mph (119 kph). It rotates in a counter-clockwise spiraling position around a region of low pressure which is called the eye or center.
Based on their intensity, hurricanes are categorized on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale which ranges from 1-5, with 1 being a minimal hurricane and 5 being the strongest.A potential hurricane passes through four phases before it attains the strength of a hurricane.
Phase 1: Tropical Disturbance
A system in the trade wind easterlies which gives rise to a discrete area of cloudiness with embedded showers and thunder storms.
Phase 2: Tropical Depression
This system has definite counter-clockwise wind circulation in which maximum sustained surface wind is less than 38 mph (61 kph).
Phase 3: Tropical Storm
This phase immediately precedes the hurricane. Tropical storms are systems with definite counter-clockwise wind circulation in which the maximum sustained surface wind is greater than 38 mph (61 kph) but not less than 74 mph (119 kph). It is at this stage that the storm is given a name.
Phase 4: Hurricane
The final stage is the hurricane, with maximum wind speed of 74 mph (119 kph) and over. The system is now mature and the eye is well defined. If atmospheric conditions are right, it can strengthen.
|The Perfect Storm was on the New York Times best-seller list for a year in hardcover. Then it was on the bestseller list for paperbacks. Sebastion Junger seemed to know how to write a book. Later on it was made into a movie faturing George Clonney. Before the movie came out the book had sold around 1.5 Million copies.
When Junger first started writing when he was in his 20's. He wasn't writing for anyone particular at the time. He was just coming up with his own assingments and trying to get them published. Then came the idea to write about what scientists and media called "The Perfect Storm"
His father was born in Germany and decided to move to America durning the war. His family was one of the thousands of Jewish fleding Germany. Also he moved so that he could study at the Masachusetts Institue of Technology, and started his own small consulting company.
His mother was named Ellen Sinclair and was a painter of mostly landscapes.
| Some people wonder where he came up with the idea to write The Perfect Storm. Well here is a good idea how it happened.
He was working for a tree cutting company and then a chainsaw accident tore apart his leg and put him in a not so good condition. He hoped at least that while he was laid up he would be able to work on some writting. That was when he became interested in dangerous jobs. Not jobs like rock climbers, they weren't a neccseity to society. He was interested in jobs like firefighting, fishermen, or oil well drilling, jobs that are dangerous and needed. While he was thinking about all of this limping around Gloucester, the storm hit, sending down the Andrea Gail. Junger is one of those kind of guys that is thrilled senseless by taking risks. He wouldn't even have an assignment and he would go with smoke jumpers and write a story and then try to find someone to sell it. While he was trying to get this book finished he was in Bosnia as a war correspondent.
It measures the wind speed of hurricanes. Fishermen say they can tell the Force and speed of the wind just by listening to the outrigging cables and wire stays. A Force 9 is around forty or fifty knots. At a Force 10 the cables shriek, at 11 they moan. When the Force is over 11 the cables make an unearthy moaning, something no fisherman wants to hear. Linda Greenlaw once was in a storm with high winds over 100 miles an hour. "It was like a church organ being played by a child, it didn't have any specific melody". Billy Tyne was now hearing the ghostly moans. Force 12. 90 knot winds, he can't believe it.
|Some information on hurricanes|