"There's something very special about the Great Lakes," says author Michael Schumacher. "It's kind of magical." This special magic has led Schumacher to write primarily about the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
In his latest book Too Much Sea For Their Decks: Shipwrecks of Minnesota's Northshore and Isle Royale, Schumacher focuses on Lake Superior and finds a lot of ties to the port of Duluth. "I love the city," says Schumacher. "I think it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen." Many of the wrecks cited in the book were either going to or coming from Duluth. Some even occurred very close to port.
Through research and help from archivists, Schumacher is able to provide readers with a sense of the time period and - through testimonials and post-wreck investigations - narratives about the dire nature of the people aboard some of these ships. "All of this stuff kind of comes to you. You realize there's a story behind every shipwreck out there... and each one of them has a story."
Too Much Sea For There Decks can be found at most bookstores as well as online.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.