Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History (original 1999; edition 2000)

Excellent read. Though I knew some of the 1900 hurricane, I did not know most of the story. Larson weaves an excellent tapestry of history, mankind, and nature. ( )

Since Hurricane Katrina is still so fresh in our minds as such a destructive hurricane, I was curious to find how the Galveston Hurricane compared. The title calls in the deadliest hurricane in history. In fact, it is the third deadliest, but the two more deadly hurricanes did not hit the US.

Most official reports list the deaths at 8,000. Katrina, by contrast was 1,800 more or less. The City of Galveston was literally destroyed.

The book is written in a very readable manner, looking at both the drama of the hurricane itself, but also the events leading up to it.

After reading this I can see that many people could point their fingers at the men in the weather bureau stationed in Cuba who allowed personal feelings to prevent them seeing what was happening. But, in truth, with the lack of the advance warning systems that we enjoy today perhaps little could have been done given the severity of the storm and the tremendous storm surge that followed.

The only thing that would have improved the book would have been to include some of the many photographs that the authors cites having viewed during research. ( )

After reading In the Garden of Beasts, I realized that I had another Erik Larson book on my shelf – been there for years. And then, at our church retreat last weekend, I was talking to Shawn Pulsifer about Katrina (he's from the South), and the damage to it, and when I got back, it just seemed the perfect time to pull this book down and finally read it. And I very much regret the delay! I have to fault him for calling it “the Deadliest Hurricane in History”: deadliest hurricane in American history, yes (at least at the time he was writing), but it is an Amero-centric statement. Still, fascinating reading; I wonder what other gems I have on my shelves, neglected for the demands of library books? ( )

A very readable book about Isaac Cline, Galveston, and the hurricane of 1900. As the hurricane arrived at the Texas coast this narrative became one I didn't want to put down. The reader learns a lot about Isaac's life, the Weather Service, Galveston and hurricanes told in an easy to read story (even with the switching back and forth that Larson does). I would recommend {Isaac's Storm to almost anyone.

Did not finish. Just too much about weather for me.