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Rating: 
Summary: The Definitive Book
Review: (...) Kleinberg has assembled pretty much the definitive history of this hurricane, in a book that is very compellingly readable, meticulously researched and, above all, extraordinarily well-organized. The cliche's that so abounded in "Isaac's Storm," the history of the Galveston hurricane, are here mercifully lacking. This hurricane changed the whole shape and future of South Florida, tested the state's mettle (which was found wanting in many ways) and more or less declared the future of the Everglades ecosystem, in that Lake Okeechobee would never again be allowed to become so unruly and deadly. A vast dike surrounds it today, abhorred by environmentalists, blessed by farmers and developers. The whole problem of water in South Florida, what to do with it, how to manage it, dates from this pivotal point, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane. Kleinberg has done an excellent job of tracking down sources, both living and speaking, as well as dead and existing only in ink or newsprint. He has put it all together with remarkable clarity and verve. This is a very lively book, breathing with human breath and gasping at the onslaught of almost unearthly winds. It is scrupulously researched and documented chapter and verse. One cannot but be pained to learn that some of the most precious original documents, the original issues of the Palm Beach Post and source material from the Lawrence Will archive in Belle Glade, have been stolen; but Kleinberg has managed to reconstruct their content skilfully. Today we are almost overwhelmed with escapist disaster books, from Mount Everest to Krakatoa (my favorite, for sheer absurdity, concerns a New England molasses spill; you would think the world were ending!). Here's one that actually speaks, resonates and still has consequences in the present time. The multi-billion-dollar Everglades Restoration Project still has to deal with the consequences of this 1928 hurricane, the dubious gift of having TOO much water, and what to do if you want to farm or build a condominium on land that used to be submerged. It's a fascinating, well-written account, equally at home in a library or on a bedside reading table. Highly recommended. I give it four stars merely to avoid the imputation of sycophancy and escape the charge of counterfeit reviewing with which Amazon has been lately plagued.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling account of devasting 1928 hurricane
Review: Do you ever stop and shake your head at all of the apartment complexes, condominiums, beachfront homes and commercial enterprises that have sprung up all along the coastline? It would seem that many Americans are unaware of or have become indifferent to the danger posed by hurricanes. In "Black Cloud", Eliot Kleinberg describes the horrors of the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. An estimated 7000 people were killed in its wake. Kleinberg describes the unique set of circumstances in 1928 Florida that caused the overwhelming majority of the casualties to occur inland near Lake Okeechobee.
The author provides the fascinating history that led to the draining of the Everglades, and the ill-advised construction of a flimsy dike around Lake Okeechobee that contributed in a huge way to the incomprehensible loss of life that occured during this storm. As is true in a great many disasters, what occured here was the unfortunate combination of a great many circumstances. I found the book to be fairly well written and for the most part easy to follow. And as you might expect, race played a major role in how the situation was handled by both public officials and the population at large. If you are a history buff or are fascinated with natural disasters this is certainly a book you should consider.
Rating:
Summary: Compelling account of devasting 1928 hurricane
Review: Do you ever stop and shake your head at all of the apartment complexes, condominiums, beachfront homes and commercial enterprises that have sprung up all along the coastline? It would seem that many Americans are unaware of or have become indifferent to the danger posed by hurricanes. In "Black Cloud", Eliot Kleinberg describes the horrors of the second deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. An estimated 7000 people were killed in its wake. Kleinberg describes the unique set of circumstances in 1928 Florida that caused the overwhelming majority of the casualties to occur inland near Lake Okeechobee.
The author provides the fascinating history that led to the draining of the Everglades, and the ill-advised construction of a flimsy dike around Lake Okeechobee that contributed in a huge way to the incomprehensible loss of life that occured during this storm. As is true in a great many disasters, what occured here was the unfortunate combination of a great many circumstances. I found the book to be fairly well written and for the most part easy to follow. And as you might expect, race played a major role in how the situation was handled by both public officials and the population at large. If you are a history buff or are fascinated with natural disasters this is certainly a book you should consider.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly known tragedy...and portent
Review: I agree with other reviewers that spoke highly of this work. This book is deeply moving in its portrayal of how a natural disaster combined with ineffective governmental precautions, human arrogance, and racial inequity to create an unmitigated human tragedy. The portrayal of people from all across the board is unfettered by political correctness as the author explores the range from poor black laborers buried in mass graves to a reactionary black interest group that tried to discredit the Red Cross, one of the few organizations relatively prepared for this emergency. The events in this book are made all the more tragic when one realizes that humans have learned precious little from this type of disaster. As the earth warms, whether caused by man or not, the probablility of catastrophic hurricanes reaching our coasts may dramatically increase. And yet we build on coastal land until the water has nowhere to go and we remain haughty in the face of natural power. We also ignore human factors seen in the 1928 storm that linger on in Florida. I highly recommend reading this book within the context of modern times and possiblilities. Or, try immersing yourself (if you can get past the numerous "typos" in the book) in the world of early Florida settlement. Either way, you will embark on a heart-wrenching experience that will long be remembered.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly known tragedy...and portent
Review: I agree with other reviewers that spoke highly of this work. This book is deeply moving in its portrayal of how a natural disaster combined with ineffective governmental precautions, human arrogance, and racial inequity to create an unmitigated human tragedy. The portrayal of people from all across the board is unfettered by political correctness as the author explores the range from poor black laborers buried in mass graves to a reactionary black interest group that tried to discredit the Red Cross, one of the few organizations relatively prepared for this emergency. The events in this book are made all the more tragic when one realizes that humans have learned precious little from this type of disaster. As the earth warms, whether caused by man or not, the probablility of catastrophic hurricanes reaching our coasts may dramatically increase. And yet we build on coastal land until the water has nowhere to go and we remain haughty in the face of natural power. We also ignore human factors seen in the 1928 storm that linger on in Florida. I highly recommend reading this book within the context of modern times and possiblilities. Or, try immersing yourself (if you can get past the numerous "typos" in the book) in the world of early Florida settlement. Either way, you will embark on a heart-wrenching experience that will long be remembered.
Rating:
Summary: Little Know Hurricane in FL
Review: Very good book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in hurricanes or disasters. This hurricane is not very well know yet the deaths attributed to certainly qualifies it as a major disaster worthy of remembering. I bet most Floridians have never even heard about this event. Hopefully this book will change some of that. The author brings to life the hardships endured by the victims and describes how the disaster came about.
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