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Summary: A great read!
Review: This is a tragic story told exceptionally well. I read it in one long evening, and was exhausted (in a rewarding way) when I finished. I recommend this book to anyone who loves history, or just a great story.
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Summary: Exceptional mastery of a dificult subject.
Review: "Issac's Storm" is a splendid bit of history. Theauthor has done a remarkable job of presenting what we here in Texashave come to regard as "local history" and breathes new life and new perspectives into it. I was struck by Larson's ability to manipulate historical evidence and create a history that reads like fiction. His work is the best I've ever read on what we call "The 1900 Hurricane" and leaves the reader with an appreciation for the Galveston that once was and for those who died.
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Summary: Very, very, compelling
Review: This is without question one of the most, if not THE most compelling book I have read to date. It gives the reader a clear understanding of the perception of the world around them that the people of the time had.
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Summary: Excellent book so far
Review: Excellent book. It is a fast paced book (it is 400a and I'm still reading it!) and gives an excellent historical context to the events leading up to the hurricane that struck Texas
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Summary: As emotionally charged and intense as hurricanes themselves
Review: In "Isaac's Storm," the deadliest hurricane in history is so real you can taste it -- and can taste the panic of the residents of Galveston as they drown or are crushed to death, as their lives fall apart, as their beautiful homes collapse and their city is destroyed. Through it all is Isaac Cline, the chief weather forecaster of Galveston, who should have seen it coming, and didn't. Erik Larson is a powerful writer and a great spinner of yarns, and he shows us in this wonderful book how a weird combination of things -- human insecurities, sibling rivalry, political ambition, personal responsibility, and the unconquerable Mother Nature herself -- can lead to tragedy. I highly recommend this book, even for people (like me) who don't usually read adventure tales. The lyrical writing and the vivid characters make it hard to put down, harder to forget.
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Summary: How a murder led me to Isaac and his storm
Review: Dear Reader,I must confess, I did not set out to write a book about the Great Hurricane of 1900. I stumbled across the storm when I began researching a murder that occurred that same year--a murder, I should add, to which my book now devotes only a single sentence. One morning I turned a page of the old New York Journal, and saw photographs of damage that defied description. Having lived through one major hurricane, and several minor ones, I was hooked instantly. The more I learned about the storm and about Isaac Cline, the chief weatherman in Texas and my book's central character, the more I found myself tugged toward Galveston and the extraordinary events of Sept. 8, 1900. That as many as 10,000 people died in Galveston alone seemed inconceivable to me--especially given how little is known of this storm beyond the borders of Texas. The more I studied the hurricane and dogged the trail of Isaac Cline, the more I fell in love with the age in which he lived and the people who moved through his world. People like Louisa Rollfing, whose long bittersweet life placed her and those she loved directly in the path of the storm, and Dr. Young, a weather fanatic who literally pulled up an armchair and watched the storm emerge from the sea. I had no idea the weather bureau of the late 19th century was such a lively place, torn by sex scandals, embezzlement, even allegations of grave-robbing. I quickly realized there was a deeper story here, however. Isaac's journey toward that awful Saturday became for me a saga about the endless conflict between technological hubris and nature, the last great uncontrollable force. I hope you enjoy Isaac's Storm. If you're a parent, keep a few tissues on hand. I did. And whatever you do, DO NOT read this book on the beach. Best wishes, Erik Larson Seattle, July 1, 1999
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Summary: Superb narration, great writing, amazing information
Review: I am the editor who worked on ISAAC'S STORM. From the moment I opened the box and read the first page, this book has been sheer pleasure. It was clear from the start that Erik Larson was totally in command of his material. In telling the story of weatherman Isaac Cline and the catastrophic hurricane that hit Galveston, September 8, 1900, he drew on original sources from Cline, other survivors and eyewitnesses which allowed him to build full-bodied portraits of Isaac and the men, women and children of Galveston who first welcomed the rain and the breeze and then fought for their lives against the torrents and raging winds. He has also made good use of the most up-to-date research on weather and great storms. And because he is a fantastic story teller, he has woven it all into a brilliant narrative.I read ISAAC'S STORM in one sitting. Since that first day, I have read it twice more. Each time I have fallen under its spell as I meet Isaac and people of Galveston, watch the great storm develop, marvel at its ferocity and mourn for its victims.If you read it, I think you will, too.
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Summary: A New Twist on a Horrific Event
Review: Having been fortunate enough to obtain an advance-release copy of Erik Larson's book "Isaac's Storm," I feel it is safe to say that it is a departure from the norm -- as far as books on Galveston and the Great 1900 Hurricane go. Most authors of books on Galveston and the Galveston Hurricane use notes taken by Isaac Cline (chief weather observer at Galveston in 1900) as their basis for their writings on the 1900 storm. Larson also uses Cline's personal notes, and those of many other survivors. However, he paints a vividly different scene than that any other book on Galveston I have come across. Larson is not afraid to express criticism of Cline and his actions prior to and after the storm. He is also quick to point out that Cline, prior to the 1900 storm, felt that Galveston did not need a seawall. In fact, he believed Galveston safe from any serious threats from storms. This factual book is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Island. The book is loaded with tons new information and new perspectives of this Island City ... a city which was poised for greatness at the turn of the century.
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Summary: Another solid Larson book
Review: Just as in Devil in the White City, Larson brings a time and place to astonishing life in this tale of turn of the century scientific hubris. Galveston literally jumps off the page, with every ill-fated decision draped with tragic historical significance. As with other Larson titles, the prose can occasionally drag with details that may not be immediately relevant or interesting; however, sticking with the narrative is nicely rewarded by page-turning drama once the hurrican kicks into gear. Overall, a compelling read about a shocking disaster that many of us know nothing about.
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Summary: The Forgotten Storm:
Review: The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 forever changed the Texas coast and altered the history of an entire region. Larson puts together a tremendous blend of science and history to make the story come alive. Back then, the people of Texas thought they were immune to terrible storms and no one believed a major hurricane would ever approach the coast.
In the book, the meteorologist Isaac Cline feels almost partially responsible for the massive death toll that occured during the weekend of Sept. 8 and 9. The whole city was left in ruins and what was once a thriving seaport on the Texas coast became a ruin. If not for the storm, Galveston might have become the toast of Texas and not Houston. Both towns were in a winner-take-all race for crown jewel of the gulf when the massive storm destroyed the hopes and dreams of the residents of Galveston.
Pick it up, read it and remember that Hurricanes Andrew, Camille and Ivan weren't the first hurricanes to leave a lasting imprint on the Gulf Coast. This was the one that opened everyone's eyes to the fury of hurricanes.
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