Isaac's Storm : A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

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Summary: Riveting
Review: I found myself glued to this book. As others have mentioned, it really points out America's arrogance -- not just over nature but over others who knew better, i.e. the Cubans. It did read very much like a newspaper account, but the short chapters about the evolution of the storm, almost like the creation of some sort of Stephen King evil force, really kept me reading. I highly recommend this book to all.

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Summary: A Great Book!
Review: Few books have so profoundly changed the way that I view the world in which I live. I will never again walk on a barrier island or look out into the Gulf of Mexico without the fury of this storm haunting my thoughts. The pace of this book parallels that of the building storm and some might find it slow reading at first, but I thought this to be a great technique that leads the reader through the same psychological progression that Galveston residents must have followed. The terror of the storm chapters is truly unforgettable. As a resident of Abilene, I enjoyed the historical connections that Mr. Cline had with Abilene. I highly recommend this book to anyone who visits the Texas coast, is interested in meteorology, or early 20th century history.

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Summary: A must read for anyone from the Texas Gulf Coast!
Review: A must read for anyone from the Texas Gulf Coast

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Summary: Some fascinating stuff here.
Review: This is one of those books that increases your curiosity about an event by straight-forward recitation of fact. This is a well crafted story of the worst hurricane in U.S. history. It gives a great account of meterology in its infancy and how man at the beginning of this century believed that he was truly the master of the earth. The book is a trivia lover's dream and the author does a great job of setting time and place by telling what life was like in 1900. The personal story was less satisfying, but limited as he was by telling about a man who left little behind, the author resisted the temptation to speculate and perhaps drift into fiction. Admittedly some of the storm "facts" are probably apocryphal, coming as they did from the newspapers of the day: a galloping horse (in a flood?) struck down by a wind driven board,for example. The descriptions of the dead and the aftermath of the hurricane are grim and probably completely accurate. The destruction of the orphanage and its 93 occupants is particularly heartwrenching. All in all, this is a great book to spend some time with but would have been helped by the inclusion of some of the photographs the author references.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This is NOT one of those "I couldn't put it down" type books. The meteorlogical history aspect was rather interesting as the hurricane hit at a time when weather forecasting was in its infancy, but the story of Isaac was somewhat dull. I would have expected a more interestingly-written book about one of the great disasters of all time. Save your money on this one folks

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Summary: Not the best writing but just couldn't stop reading it
Review: Though written in a very "newspaper-journalist" style (not surprising, given the author's occupation), this book was absolutely riveting. I have never before gone through a book of this size in two days. I neglected friends and family to devote as much time as possible to reading this harrowing account of the worst hurricane in US history. It revolves around one man - the head of the Weather Bureau in Galveston - who believed that no hurricane of significance could ever hit that booming city. With parallels to the hubris of the Titanic, this account shows how arrogant this country was at the very start of this century when it came to the state of scientific knowledge. The writing is a little too heavy on the "Little did they know..." style of foreshadowing but that is easily forgiven due to the incredible amount of research that can be seen in the telling of this story. (Inexplicably, there are no pictures included in this book, though the author refers to many throughout.)

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Summary: Great for those from the Gulf Coast.
Review: This is a really good read for anyone who lives on the Gulf Coast. I live fifteen minutes from Galveston, and I really enjoyed knowing exactly where the author places the action street by street. I was here for hurricane Carla in 1961. If you've never been through a hurricane, this book is great preparation. You can always tell hurricane veterans, we evacuate. Novices throw hurricane parties and often die.

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Summary: One of the most frightening books I've ever read.
Review: Eric Larsen's chronicle of the 1900 Galveston hurricane is spellbounding. An insight into how arrogance on the part of intelligent men led to the deaths of so many. The detailing of the events during the hurricane were some of the most chilling I've read. I highly recommend it.

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Summary: Compelling non-fiction; well-written and worthwhile.
Review: If you enjoyed THE PERFECT STORM and INTO THIN AIR as I did, then please read ISAAC'S STORM. While telling a compelling story, Larson involves the reader in the people and events surrounding the disastrous Galveston hurricane. I learned a lot from this book, so much so that I will research the event further.

Rating:
Summary: A novel worth reading.
Review: An interesting tale that will keep your interest