Isaac's Storm - Erik Larson

Isaac's Storm

By Erik Larson

  • Release Date: 2000-07-11
  • Genre: U.S. History
Score: 4
4
From 711 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The riveting true story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900, still the deadliest natural disaster in American history—from the acclaimed author of The Devil in the White City

“A gripping account ... fascinating to its core, and all the more compelling for being true.” —The New York Times Book Review

September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people—and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devastating personal tragedy.

Using Cline's own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man's heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude.

Reviews

  • Stormy Weather

    4
    By Bodhiboy65
    Larson has written another beautiful, well-researched and deep historical narratives.
  • The whole truth

    5
    By dlnrr
    Although it was a little hard to follow is places, this is a book full of history, drama and an amazing explanation of how things were and the impact it’s had on life in Texas today and the rest of the United States.
  • Gulf Coast Texas Required Reading

    5
    By 5pbmqa
    Fascinating. Larson’s ability to tell historical stories in such a cinematic way is unparalleled. Great and informative reading having grown up in Houston, Texas all my life.
  • Waste of money

    1
    By Tommyj60
    Had to read for a school project and was unable to finish it as it was hard to follow and not intriguing.
  • Issac’s Storm

    4
    By Burry R
    Haunting story.
  • Breathtaking

    5
    By Zinguy
    Today when we can all look at our smartphones and get an hour by hour prediction of pending weather it's hard to imagine a time when you could be surprised by something as devastating as a hurricane. In Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson gives you a front row seat to one of the most destructive hurricanes in Texas history and and an authentic view into the lives & times of the bustling city of Galveston Texas at the turn of the century. Fast passed and highly readable Larson hits it out of the park with this one.
  • Great book

    5
    By Catsarefun
    Bought and read it right after I had purchased a beach house in Delaware. Needless to say I watched the ocean w a bit more respect each hurricane season since.
  • Blown away

    5
    By Mrogan55
    No pun intended. As always a riveting story told by one of the greatest historical storytellers of our time. Fantastic book.
  • My favorite author and favorite book!

    5
    By Yanksfan8188
    This book is phenomenal, I just discovered Erik Larsen the summer of 2010 and he is my favorite author, he puts a fiction spin on non-fiction books. I would recommend this book to anyone along with, Devil in The White City, Thunderstruck, Garden of Beast and Lethal Passage!!!

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