Points of View

Junger often writes from a third-person knowledgeable point of view. Many passages read like articles from an encyclopedia on sword fishing methods, Coast Guard practices, the history of Cape Cod, currents in the Gulf Stream, and other esoteric topics. When he writes about these topics, he writes from a factual journalistic point of view.

Junger can also put himself in the place of the characters in the book, especially the men on the Andrea Gail. Whenever he can, he uses actual records of their conversations so that he can tell us exactly how much fish they were catching, where they were on certain days, and other facts about the journey. However, he has to turn to accounts from other mariners facing similar disasters to describe how his characters fight for survival on the Andrea Gail, even as they are facing certain death. He uses factual information...