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

Rating:
Summary: Read in One Day!
Review: I couldn't put this book down...not that I enjoy the Titanic disaster sort of story. But this book brought me back one hundred years. Really had me right in the middle of the mystery of what was then thought of as nature's wrath. Long before the Weather Channel and satelites such extreme weather conditions were trully a mystery. Larson not only gave us a feeling of being in the eye of the hurricane itself but of seeing it in an earlier century!! What mysteries do we now try to understand that will be simplified one hundred years from today.

Rating:
Summary: Mother Nature and human nature collide.
Review: Larsen's book is a true account of not only the physical damage a severe hurricane can bring but also how human error (read: stubborness) can cause just as much damage. "Isaac's Storm" chronicles the Galveston hurricane of 1900. Larsen ably follows the path of the hurricane and the paths of the survivors and non-survivors. I enjoyed Larsen's description of the anatomy of a storm, tracing one from the west coast of Africa to possible destruction on the other side of the Atlantic. As I read, I feared the description would get too scientific to follow. Larsen gently leads through the stages of the storm and takes time to explain what is happening and why. Equally fascinating is the pride the people of 1900 exhibit. Consider: 1) A storm would never cross the Gulf of Mexico and strike Galveston. 2) The U.S. Weather Bureau was convinced that Cubans could not forecast a hurricane and caught off all weather warnings from Cuba. 3) Only Washington could declare the storm a "hurricane". The local forecaster (who was dealing with the wind, rain, etc.) could not. I found this book enjoyable, historical and a little chilling. I may have also learned a little more about all of us.

Rating:
Summary: A tad melodramatic, but interesting
Review: While a tad melodramatic, Larson presents both the background of the hurricane itself and the problems within the Weather Bureau in a very readable fashion. Larson is not in the same league as John McPhee or John Barry, but is nonetheless an engaging and capable author.

Rating:
Summary: excellent page turner with great human interest
Review: I couldn't put it down. I had never heard of this hurricane but I was interested because Sept 8 is my birthdayl and this happened in 1900 the last turn of the century. This is a very readable and compelling book.

Rating:
Summary: Vivid portrayal of a forgotten disaster
Review: Engrossing story of a time--turn of the century America--and a unique event--the Great Hurricane of 1900. A vivid, riveting description of the personal tragedies that occurred on that infamous Saturday. A quick read. A little too much on the science of weather, but, overall, an unforgettable account of a terrible day.

Rating:
Summary: Windy account of long-ago disaster
Review: Author Larson has done a first-rate job researching the deadliest hurricane ever to hit America. However, the first half of the book feels padded, long-winded and tedious. You feel like shouting, "Can't we just get to the bloody hurricane, already." The accounts of the poor Galveston residents desparately struggling to stay alive as their houses are ripped apart by raging winds and a brutal storm surge are both breathtaking and heart-wrenching. But readers searching for a hurricane version of "The Perfect Storm" may be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating account if natural phenomena interest you.
Review: While initially too literary ("An invisible paisley of plumes and counterplumes formed above the earth, the pattern as ephemeral as the copper and bronze veils that appear when water enters whiskey"), Larson later settles into a narrative style more fitting the subject, which in itself is fascinating. If natural disasters are your cup of tea, or you think they might be, this book should not be missed. Larson is smart in his method of tracing the lives of a few citizens. He provides an index of characters, which is necessary, to help you refer to earlier passages as you read later ones. The personal impact is thus the more dramatic having become acquainted with the victims beforehand. His research must have been tireless; he's gathered a wealth of first-person accounts, historical data, and scientific supplement. You'll learn how a hurricane forms, what they are, what that particular one did, and, sadly, why the outcome should have been different. The book's major shortcoming, as I see it, is its lack of pictures. I have no idea what the reason was for not including at least a few of the 4000 photos the author says exist, but someone was obviously not thinking. Nevertheless, "Isaac's Storm" is a captivating and frightening account of unquestionably the most horrific natural disaster suffered by the United States.

Rating:
Summary: Worth $12.50, but a New York Times bestseller?
Review: Moderately instructive in meteorology. Larson's prose drifts occasionally towards the purple. This nice little book is hardly in the same league as David McCullough's "Johnstown Flood" when it comes to research.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent probe of human arrogance and vulnerability
Review: Issac's Storm is an excellent account of how humankind's arrogance can exacerbate its vulnerability to the forces of nature. Had U.S. weather bureau officials put aside their bigoted pride, thousands of lives may have been saved. The book does a superb job of telling the pre-storm story; however, the personal accounts of the storm itself are the most compelling and I found myself in want of more.

Rating:
Summary: This book is truly riveting.
Review: It succeeds brilliantly at two things: capturing the character of a specific place and time and providing insight into the formation and destructive lives of hurricanes. Magnificent detail is given to all aspects of this true story, from the chain of events that lead to the birth of hurricanes, to why Galveston in 1900 was considered a city on the edge of greatness and to the eventual annihilation of that city by one of the most monstrous storms of the century. The characters in the book range from Isaac Cline, the U.S. Weather Bureau's resident meteorologist who failed to recognize the severity of the storm until it was too late, and his egotistical fellow forecasters, to various citizens of Galveston who desperately tried to survive the savage assault of wind and water. All are memorable. The author's prose is quite often poetic and the images he presents of a city stunned by death and disaster are haunting. I hate to use a cliche, but I honestly could not put this book down. A must read.