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Title: Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
ISBN: 0375708278
Author:
Erik Larson
Publicate Date: 2000-07-11
Publish: 2000-07-11
List Price: $14.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $3.99
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $3.40
Amazon Merchant Price: $10.17
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| Customer Review: |
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1: a reminder of tragedy
Isaac's Storm, published in 1999, is the story of the most horrible hurricane in American history. While reading, I wondered if Hurricane Katrina had outstripped the Galveston hurricane described by Larson. It did not. The Galveston hurricane claimed at least 6,000 lives and the entire town. Hurricane Katrina, however, claimed less than 2,000 lives according to most estimates. While Katrina is the most tragic natural disaster of our age, our forebears experienced even worse. The Isaac of the title is Isaac Cline, the U.S. Weather Bureau's chief observer in Galveston. Larson weaves meteorological details of the storm with the story of Isaac and other Galveston residents as well as the bureaucratic failures that left the city vulnerable. The story is touching and, at times, horrifying. Larson clearly conveys the fear residents felt during the storm and the way it changed the lives of survivors forever. I cannot imagine living through such an ordeal. This is a wonderful precursor of Larson's later work, The Devil in the White City. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed that book.
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2: Never thought I'd enjoy a book about the weather so much!
I had never given much thought to the origins of weather forecasting. This book goes through much of the history (and the politics) of how it all began in the US through the life of weatherman Issac Cline, who, in being a perfect product of his time, makes it all fascinating . I did not want to put this book down. This book takes us back and forth between the history of weather and the creation and path of a dangerous storm that eventually devastates a Texas coastal town.
Highly recommend!
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3: Isaac'sStorm
Isaac's Storm,a non -fiction account of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane, reads like a book of fiction. Itis all true. If you are interested in the weather and how The U.S. Weather Bureau began, or if you love to vacation on Galveston Island this is a must read. Thunderstruck and Devil in the White City by this auther are also really good.
J.S. Texas
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4: There Have Always Been Harrowing Storms
Much national attention was paid to the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, and rightly so, but as Erik Larson so vividly illustrates in this book, there have always been harrowing storms. There has just not been, until recent years, the capability for extensive media coverage to keep everyone informed. In ISAAC'S STORM, Mr. Larson weaves a tense historical account of the approach of "the deadliest hurricane in history" to the then teeming city of Galveston, TX. The author also brings insight into the struggles of a fledgling national weather bureau, but the real heart of the book is the page-turning narrative of ordinary people dealing with the unbelievable effects of a monster storm.
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5: Term Paper
I first read The Devil in the White City so decided to try Isaac's Storm. While The Devil in the White City had a storyline and inter-woven characters, Isaac's Storm read more like a term paper. I guess I was hoping to find more of a plot in there somewhere (beyond character introduction and the account of the storm). To me, it seemed to drag on a bit with constant name-dropping from Larson's extensive research.
If you're looking to read up on the Galveston hurricane, it's a great book and sets you right in the middle of things. I was hoping for something more, however.
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