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A review by altlovesbooks
A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes by Eric Jay Dolin
5.0
"In Cantore you have science and show business all wrapped up in one spiffy Gore-Tex package."
I live in Florida, but I did not grow up in Florida. While I've seen the gamut from tropical storms to category 5 hurricanes up close, I didn't have the same born-and-bred knowledge many lifetime residents have about what came before. This book helped fill in the gaps nicely, and was an incredibly entertaining read.
The early chapters of the book cover the basics of hurricane history, from early encounters with these freakishly powerful storms to the beginning advances into meteorology and storm prediction. Sprinkled amongst the science are rather detailed accounts of individual storms, from accounts written in the 1500s all the way through Sandy (with a nod to Dorian in the epilogue). There's sad stories, absurdly funny stories (in a gallows humor sort of way), heroic stories, and more government bureaucracy than you can shake a stick at. I really appreciated the detailed look at some of these storms that have impacted us in the past.
I will say, however, that if you're looking for anything in-depth in terms of science, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. While basic terms and concepts are covered, it's in an accessible way, and anyone with prior knowledge in the field will likely already be familiar with what's presented.
Highly recommend for anyone living in a hurricane-prone region, or anyone interested in an incredibly engaging book about these monster storms.
I live in Florida, but I did not grow up in Florida. While I've seen the gamut from tropical storms to category 5 hurricanes up close, I didn't have the same born-and-bred knowledge many lifetime residents have about what came before. This book helped fill in the gaps nicely, and was an incredibly entertaining read.
The early chapters of the book cover the basics of hurricane history, from early encounters with these freakishly powerful storms to the beginning advances into meteorology and storm prediction. Sprinkled amongst the science are rather detailed accounts of individual storms, from accounts written in the 1500s all the way through Sandy (with a nod to Dorian in the epilogue). There's sad stories, absurdly funny stories (in a gallows humor sort of way), heroic stories, and more government bureaucracy than you can shake a stick at. I really appreciated the detailed look at some of these storms that have impacted us in the past.
I will say, however, that if you're looking for anything in-depth in terms of science, you'll probably want to look elsewhere. While basic terms and concepts are covered, it's in an accessible way, and anyone with prior knowledge in the field will likely already be familiar with what's presented.
Highly recommend for anyone living in a hurricane-prone region, or anyone interested in an incredibly engaging book about these monster storms.