Scan barcode
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
4.0
As with most Larson books there's a section that's less than interesting and harder to get through. For me that was the first third of this book. Bits about the life of a relative unknown personality and his role preceding something for which he'd become better known. However, once the book got past this mundane lead in and reached the crux of the story (the storm) it became a much more interesting read and I flew through the last two-thirds of the book in about three days.
novelette's review against another edition
3.0
It was a little boring at the beginning, but got better towards the end
pained_creations's review against another edition
4.75
Loved learning about weather forecasting and hurricanes!
retired_to_alternate_universe's review against another edition
5.0
Easily, one of the most engrossing books I have ever read.
wildweasel105's review against another edition
4.0
When will man ever learn that he cannot...ever...predict Nature? Erik Larson has a masterful gift of bringing this question to the forefront of history by way of the recorded events surrounding the deadliest hurricane to strike the U.S. - the Galveston hurricane of September 1900.
This is the story of one Isaac Cline, who is head of his district office of the newly formed U.S. Weather Bureau in Galveston Texas. His decisions, both good and bad, ultimately lead to the costly underestimation of the track of the monster storm that swept past Cuba and entered the Gulf of Mexico rather than steer northward towards Florida as most of his colleagues predicted.
But remember, 120 years ago, there was only a fraction of the advanced technology we enjoy today. The seemingly "off the cuff", rudimentary observations and data collecting capabilities of these weathermen of yesteryear simply could not match the precision of storm prediction they really needed. The result: a massive destruction of one of the fastest growing cities on the Gulf at the turn of the 20th century.
This is a must for both meteorology and history buffs!
This is the story of one Isaac Cline, who is head of his district office of the newly formed U.S. Weather Bureau in Galveston Texas. His decisions, both good and bad, ultimately lead to the costly underestimation of the track of the monster storm that swept past Cuba and entered the Gulf of Mexico rather than steer northward towards Florida as most of his colleagues predicted.
But remember, 120 years ago, there was only a fraction of the advanced technology we enjoy today. The seemingly "off the cuff", rudimentary observations and data collecting capabilities of these weathermen of yesteryear simply could not match the precision of storm prediction they really needed. The result: a massive destruction of one of the fastest growing cities on the Gulf at the turn of the 20th century.
This is a must for both meteorology and history buffs!
elg1105's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death