Tornado Alley: Monster Storms of the Great Plains
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Product Description
Tornadoes are the most violent, magnificent, and utterly unpredictable storms on earth, reaching estimated wind speeds of 300 mph and leaving swaths of destruction in their wake. In Tornado Alley, Howard Bluestein draws on two decades of experience chasing and photographing tornadoes across the Plains to present a fascinating historical account of the study of tornadoes and the great thunderstorms that spawn them.
A century ago, tornado warnings were so unreliable that they usually went unreported. Today, despite cutting-edge Doppler radar technology and computer simulation, these storms remain remarkably difficult to study. Leading scientists still conduct much of their research from the inside of a speeding truck, and often contend with jammed cameras, flash floods, and windshields smashed by hailstones and flying debris. Using over a hundred diagrams, models, and his own spectacular color photographs, Bluestein documents the exhilaration of hair-raising encounters with as many as nine tornadoes in one day, as well as the crushing disappointment of failed expeditions and ruined equipment. Most of all, he recreates the sense of beauty, mystery, and power felt by the scientists who risk their lives to study violent storms.
For scientists, amateur weather enthusiasts, or anyone who's ever been intrigued or terrified by a darkening sky, Tornado Alley provides not only a history of tornado research but a vivid look into the origin and effects of nature's most dramatic phenomena.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Part Ripping Yarn, Part Scientific Survey...
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Comment:
Meteorology is, when closely inspected, a truly odd science. Although it has its share of stuffy scientists, it is also performed on the evening news by people with (sometimes) dubious credentials. This distinguishes it from, say, particle physics which would not draw most people's daily attention like the weather does. It is one of the few sciences that can be easily participated in by nearly everyone. And as Dr. Bluestein shows, if you are armed with an automobile and a little knowledge, you too can get out there and chase tornadoes! This book does an excellent job of showing interested readers what goes into making a tornado, and is a really good historical document on an activity that has become, weirdly, a small but noticeable industry - professional stormchasing. How did it all start? Dr. B. is one of the true pioneers of an odd branch of an odd science, and reading this book will not only acquaint you with that fact but also show you that there is still room in this world of ours for crazy, wild, wonderful things like tornado chasing.
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Summary:
Fascinating history and background
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Comment:
Every spring I have a craving for information about meteorology and severe weather. This book satisfies that craving. It is filled with the author's many beautiful photographs of storm clouds, funnels, tornadoes, etc. What I found most fascinating was the information on the history of storm research and storm chasing. It is impressive to learn how much has been discovered in only the last 50 years or so. It was interesting to realize how little about severe weather was known early in the 20th century, and how the pioneers of meteorological research began their investigations to establish the information we now take for granted during everyday weather newscasts.
The book covers technical meteorological information and concepts and so some parts could be challenging for someone who is not familiar with the science of meteorology. For an easy and engaging primer, I'd recommend the "Golden Guide" book "Weather" by Paul E. Lehr.
If you are really fascinated by storms and storm chasing, I also recommend checking out your local "Skywarn" organization (just search "skywarn" in an internet search engine.) These groups train people to be storm spotters and assist public safety officials to give tornado/severe weather warnings. Even if you aren't interested in being a spotter, attending the free annual spring training class is very interesting because you see lots of actual footage of severe weather, talk to real spotters, and learn lots of practical info about the behavior of storms.
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Summary:
Tornado Alley - suffers a bit from a split personality
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Comment:
Prof. Bluestein is one of the world's premier storm photographers, and the images alone make this book worthwhile. From where I sit, the book tries to combine the imagery with meteorology lessons that a few readers might find useful but many will probably find them pitched at too high a level to be of much value. The book is apparently trying to combine a "coffee table" content with meteorology lessons, an arguably overambitious goal. I was also disappointed that many of the images are printed too small or even in b&w. Otherwise, the image reproduction is excellent.
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Summary:
For Those Curious About Storms
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Comment:
This book is written so that anyone can (with a little thought) understand the concepts discussed in it. However, this is not to say the book is a bore for the weather enthusiast--quite the contrary, this is the audience it will satisfy most.I highly recommend this book for any storm enthusiast. In this book, Dr. Bluestein covers a wide range of tornado and severe-weather related topics, as well as some of the history behind how we currently deal with and view weather today. It is not difficult to understand, as it is not an academic text, yet at the same time Dr. Bluestein integrates explanations of core scientific concepts into his chasing tales and weather history narratives. Thus if you only want the book for the sake of tornado pictures and desire little/no scientific content, I suggest you look elsewhere.
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Summary:
Great Book
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Comment:
I love this highly explosive book! It is for sure, for the storm lover. I plan on chasing storms after school, and if you do too, this the book for you. Proud to give it five big stars!
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