Praise for Books by Michael J. Tougias
The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue (co-authored with Casey Sherman)
“A blockbuster account of tragedy at sea…gives a ‘you-are-there’ feel.” —The Providence Journal
“A gripping read!” —James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers
Overboard! A True Bluewater Odyssey of Disaster and Survival
“A heart-pounding account of the storm that tore apart a forty-five-foot sailboat. Author Michael Tougias is the master of the weather-related disaster book.” —The Boston Globe
“Overboard is a beautiful story deserving of a good cry.” —Gatehouse News Service
“Tougias has a knack for weaving thoroughly absorbing stories – adventure fans need this one! —Booklist
Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea
“A passionately recounted peril-at-sea adventure...described with excruciating intensity. A blustery seafarer's delight, rendered with gusto.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Tougias spins a marvelous and terrifying yarn....this is a breathtaking book.” —Los Angeles Times
“Tougias's terrifying tale will stun you...leaving you breathless, exhilarated, and finally amazed.” —The Providence Journal
“Ernie Hazard’s experiences, as related by Tougias, deserve a place as a classic of sea survival history.”—The Boston Globe
“Tougias spins a dramatic saga. . . . (He) has written eighteen books and this is among his most gripping.” —National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Ten Hours Until Dawn
“The best story of peril at sea since Sebastian Junger’s Perfect Storm. Superb!” —Booklist
“What a story! Tougias’ research and writing make the reader feel as if they are onboard the Can Do during the Blizzard of ’78.” —Governor Michael Dukakis
“An incredible tale of heroism and sacrifice.” —Nathaniel Philbrick, National Book Award Winner
Selected as an American Library Association as an Editor’s Choice and “Top Book of the Year”
Ten Hours audio book won Audiofiles “Earphones Award.”
A Storm Too Soon
“By depicting the event from the perspective of both the rescued and the rescuers and focusing only on key moments and details, Tougias creates a suspenseful, tautly rendered story that leaves readers breathless but well-satisfied. Heart-pounding action for the avid armchair adventurer.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The riveting, meticulously researched “A Storm Too Soon” tells the true-life tale of an incredible rescue” —New York Post
“Tougias deftly switches from heart-pounding details of the rescue to the personal stories of the boat’s crew and those of the rescue team. The result is a well-researched and suspenseful read.” —Publishers Weekly
“Already a maven of maritime books with Overboard! and Fatal Forecast, Tougias cinches that title here. Working in the present tense Tougias lets the story tell itself, and what a story! Any one reading (A Storm Too Soon) will laud Tougias’ success.”
—Providence Journal
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“The Waters Between Us is a song of praise to the outdoors, an apology for boyhood misunderstandings, and a loving appreciation for a father whose grace, joy and kindness remained steadfast in the face of tragedy. Young Michael Tougias reminds me of Huck Finn, and it's great fun to accompany him on his river adventures. But even more rewarding is the compassion he has gained in hindsight. You'll be grateful to the boy, the man he became, and the father who quietly nurtured them both for this unforgettable memoir.”—Sy Montgomery, National Book Award Finalist and NY Times Bestselling Author of Soul of an Octopus
“More than just another outdoors book, Michael explores the complex and often challenging relationship between a father and son that any father or son can relate to. This book will make you smile, laugh and nod your head in agreement. The natural world is Michael’s place of inspiration and solace and healing and this book will take you there too.”—Tom Reed, author of Give Me Mountains for My Horses and Columnist for TROUT magazine
“I loved it! Tougias’s wonderful memoir celebrates a time before cell phones and social media cluttered our lives; when a kid could drape a fishing rod across the handlebars of his bike and find high adventure in the woods and streams around him.”—Stephen Sautner, author of Fish On, Fish Off and A Cast in the Woods
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"Reading “The Waters Between Us” is like sitting down and listening to Tougias spin yarns of his sometimes harrowing (mis)adventures during his youth. Some of the predicaments are nail-biting, such as a near-death experience where he and his friend get tossed into a freezing gorge while rafting down Vermont’s Huntington River. But throughout, Tougias tells of his misadventures so amusingly that you keep turning the page to see what kind of trouble he will get into next."
—Abby Remer, Martha's Vineyard Times
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“A coming of age story that everyone will enjoy because it is so well written.”—WBZ Book Club, New England’s most powerful radio station
“As if channeling Huckleberry Finn, Henry David Thoreau and James Dean, Tougias has written a funny, insightful and finally profound autobiography”—Metro West Daily News
“Tougias tells of his misadventures so amusingly that you keep turning the page to see what kind of trouble he will get into next. And the yearning for a close relationship [with his father] wends its way throughout the book. “Many of the adventures caused my father to question my sanity, and tested his patience … I was a wild kid and a magnet for trouble,” writes the author. “I learned a lot from him — not by talking but by observing.” – Martha's Vineyard Times
“When a life-altering tragedy strikes his family after an event of shared happiness, Tougias artfully weaves together memories of his father's and mother's tireless devotion. In this touching memoir, Tougias comically and poignantly describes his long struggle to reach across that gulf that separated him from all he needed to finally find peace.” – Gannett News
“Tougias’ travels encourage reflection of our own childhoods and passages while eagerly turning his pages, immersed in new adventures, lamenting only that each page turned brings us closer to his last.” – Outdoor Columnist Todd Corayer “Fish Wrap”
“Much of the books emotional power comes from Tougias success evoking his special places…” — The Cape Codder
“It’s a story with plenty of comical moments but “The Waters Between Us” also recounts a tragedy that brought a reckoning for Tougias and his family — and his father’s response to that incident gave his son a better appreciation for his dad’s values and ultimately brought the two closer.” – Daily Hampshire Gazette
“Tougias carries readers through his itchy adolescence to his restless young adulthood by skillfully balancing his comic misadventures with a deepening passion for nature as a source of joy and peace that often eludes him elsewhere.”— Country Gazette
Bestselling author Michael J. Tougias (whose 34 books include “There’s a Porcupine in My Outhouse” and co-writing “The Finest Hours”) recounts years of misadventures in the woods and on the water (both dangerous and comical) and his goal to live in a cabin and become “a mountain man.” The book also looks at a family tragedy that changed Tougias’ life, and explores his complex relationship with his father: “the journey from misunderstanding, disappointment, and hostility to love, acceptance and admiration.” -- Cape Cod Times
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"Bestselling author Michael J. Tougias (whose 34 books include 'There’s a Porcupine in My Outhouse' and co-writing 'The Finest Hours') recounts years of misadventures in the woods and on the water (both dangerous and comical) and his goal to live in a cabin and become 'a mountain man.' The book also looks at a family tragedy that changed Tougias’ life, and explores his complex relationship with his father: 'the journey from misunderstanding, disappointment, and hostility to love, acceptance and admiration.'" —Cape Cod Times
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“When a life-altering tragedy strikes his family after an event of shared happiness, Tougias artfully weaves together memories of his father's and mother's tireless devotion. In this touching memoir, Tougias comically and poignantly describes his long struggle to reach across that gulf that separated him from all he needed to finally find peace.” – Gannett News
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“Tougias’ travels encourage reflection of our own childhoods and passages while eagerly turning his pages, immersed in new adventures, lamenting only that each page turned brings us closer to his last.” – Outdoor Columnist Todd Corayer“Fish Wrap”
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“Much of the books emotional power comes from Tougias success evoking his special places…”—The Cape Codder
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