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Join author Thomas M. Nelson and Jerald Podair, professor emeritus of History at Lawrence University, as they discuss their new book, Wrecked: the Edmund Fitzgerald and the Sinking of the American Economy, which connects the story of America’s most infamous shipwreck to an even greater disaster—the collapse of the nation’s industrial economy. When the Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior storm on November 10, 1975, the tragedy claimed more than a ship and twenty-nine lives. It exposed the broader consequences of American industrial policies that would go on to cost thousands of jobs and devastate entire communities.Written with both passion and precision, Wrecked reveals how the decline of Midwest manufacturing is tied not only to the circumstances that doomed the Fitzgerald but also to the legal battles that followed for victims’ families. The book captures the enduring sense of loss, the anger over vanishing jobs, and the frustration with poor maintenance practices and evasive liability disputes. What emerges is a compelling critique of systemic failures and their lasting impact.
Author Thomas M. Nelson, Outagamie County executive (Appleton–Fox Valley, Wisconsin), former Wisconsin Assembly majority leader (2008–2010), and state assembly (2005-11), brings a rare combination of political and personal experience to his work. His first book, One Day Stronger: How One Union Local Saved a Mill and Changed an Industry—and What It Means for American Manufacturing, grew from his efforts to help save a shuttered paper mill. With two decades in elective office and campaigns for U.S. House (2016) and U.S. Senate (2022), Nelson offers a seasoned political perspective that enriches his writing. Thoroughly researched and written in vivid, accessible prose, his books engage both scholars and general readers alike.
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