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

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Summary: Afraid of the dark!
Review: This book made me feel as if I was in the great storm of 1900. As a resident of New Orleans my whole life, this book really made me think about hurricanes in a completely different way. I was terrified!! The fact that anyone survived that hurricane was a sheer miracle. Erik Larsons portrayal of the hurricane itself was so eerie you feel as if it is really alive. A must read for anyone who has ever lived through a hurricane.

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Summary: An uneven treatment
Review: The material for an outstanding history is here - if you are from Galveston. History is only as good as the aids that are included to help the reader understand what the author's trying to say and to place it in some sort of physical context. Throughout the book the author makes reference to streets in Galveston. There's no street map. He also refers to photographs. There are no photographs. If these materials were such great sources of inspiration to the author as he claimed they were, then he could have found a better way to share them with his readers. He does a very effective job, however, in communicating the horror of the storm, its aftermath, and the character and personality of Isaac Cline. Other strong parts of the book deal with the the bureaucratic inertia and arrogance of the weather forecasters. It does not compare to The Pefect Storm or A Wind to Shake the World (which is unfortunately out-of-print). Overall, I found it to be an uneven treatment which read more like a screenplay than a historical narrative.

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Summary: Read this book in one day! Fascinating!
Review: A very entertaining read about a great tragedy. I'm always amazed when reading about what I consider to be the recent past... and how quickly the world has changed. I would never have believed that in 1900 a hurricane could strike the coast without warning. The book alternates between the storm and Galveston, and is an exceptional read. Bravo to Erik for an outstanding account of the Hurricane of 1900.

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Summary: Fascinating reading about the Great Storm of 1900!
Review: As a local (I've lived within a half hour of Galveston all of my life), I have been interested in the Great Storm since I first learned about it as a child. We have always only been told what a "hero" Isaac Cline was, and I found it so interesting that he was a big reason that Galveston didn't build a seawall in the first place! Fascinating! I couldn't put this book down! Thank you Erik Larson for writing it!

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Summary: Suffers from a lack of photos
Review: Obviously very well researched, but written in a choppy, skip here- skip there manner. A book about a hurricane should follow the progression of the storm over time, not skip foreward and backward. The two things I found most lacking were that not enough of the geopgraphy of Galveston was included (more maps wuld heve helped), and a complete lack of photographs. Thousands were taken after the storm, yet the book contains NONE. Larson makes many references to photographs, and how he used them to write the story. Some of the more important ones should have been included! Larson does a good job of illustrating the hubris of the Weather Service, and a good job of making Isack both hero and vilain.

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Summary: "Papa,are we safe?"
Review: People not that much different than us, were caught in the middle of cataclysm one hundred years ago on rich, beautiful Galveston Island. This book puts you in the time and place and without warning, the storm has you trapped. I read it within two days and will read it again. Most disturbing was the fact that people were standing on the rims of their second floor bathtubs with sea water up to their necks and 150+ mph winds blowing their beautiful homes apart. I had to shed some tears when little Lee Palmer held by his father asked "Papa,are we safe?"

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Summary: Immersed in the Worst Hurricane in American History!~
Review: Erik Larson has done a spectacular job, both of researching thos unprecedented storm, but has crafted a superb page-turner. If you have never been in the presence of such an unpredicted disaster, here's your opportunity for a jolting learning curve. FIVE well-deserved STARS.

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Summary: The ultimate book for weather and history freaks
Review: I found this book fascinating. It is a masterful blend of modern meteorlogical understanding about hurricanes and non-fiction narrative. I am probably more interested in this subject than most folks since I went through Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and I currently live 3 hours away from Galveston. But anyone with a leaning toward meteorology will soak this book up. I particularly enjoyed the physics which were woven into the story... like how many tons of air the hurricane was sucking up, the possible links to earthquakes, the incredible pressure fluctuations, wave physics, etc. But it would prove equally interesting to non-pnysics buffs because of the great human experience (although negative) it portrays. I have never been to Galveston but I am planning to go within a few weeks now that I have read this book. The historical research which went into this book is truly amazing. WELL DONE AND THANKS!!! Bill in Austin, Tx

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Summary: A good read blending history with an interesting story.
Review: Like The Alienist, Isaac's Storm tells a fast paced story within a historical perspective. The difference is that the hurricane in Isaac's Storm actually took place. This book shows what has changed in the last 100 years (forecasting) and what has not (Washington politics). The beginning of the books sets the stage for what you know will happen; however, even knowing the conclusion, I found the 2nd half of the book to be fast paced, a real page turner. With hurricane Dennis bearing down on eastern shores, I began to watch the ocean as I hadn't since the summer of Jaws.

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Summary: More than just a white-knuckle yarn
Review: Erik Larson has crafted a marvelous book that not only takes the reader on the expected wild, stormy ride, but offers thoughtful insight into why so many died on this island I call home. Rather than point any final, accusatory fingers, Mr. Larson has the disturbing facts stand on their own well-researched merit.

His book is a fine epitaph for the thousands whose bodies still rest under Galveston's sands and whom we shall never forget.