Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
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Product Description
Reading in his signature dispassionate style, narrator Edward Herrmann brings an eerie calm to this powerful chronicle of the deadliest storm ever to hit the United States--a huge and terribly destructive hurricane that struck land near Galveston, Texas in September of 1900. Author Erik Larson re-creates the events leading up to the disaster in astonishing detail, tracing the thoughts and actions of Isaac Cline, a scientist with America's burgeoning U.S. Weather Bureau. Cline's unwavering confidence--"In an age of scientific certainty one could not allow one's judgment to be clouded..."--blinds the meteorologist to the deadly onslaught about to be unleashed. Herrmann's calculated performance reflects the impending doom and dangers inherent to an unquestioned and absolute faith in science. (Running time: 5 hours, 3 cassettes) --George Laney
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Houston owes its success to this flood
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Comment:
Prior to the storm surge that destroyed Galveston, Houston was second fiddle in prominence on the Gulf. History was changed in 1900.
The only thing I might carp about is the lack of photographs, either in appendix-form or even in a companion volume, which I would have gladly purchased. But that cannot detract from a narrative that captures history as few authors can. After reading "Isaac's Storm," I felt I witnessed the Great Galveston Hurricane (and Flood).
Next up from Erik Larson:
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
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Summary:
Great book, Great Condition, Great Price
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Comment:
Great bookseller! Quality book with quick delivery. Look forward to ordering from them again.!
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Summary:
Isaac's Storm a whopper!
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Comment:
This book is hailed as a modern classic, in part, because it addresses a whopper of a storm that clobbered Galveston, TX in 1900. The response to this disaster echoes even today.
While not as gripping as "The Devil in the White City", "Isaac's Storm" deserves a place on every weather fan's bookshelf. Even if you are not a weather person or employed in the weather field. Everyone with interests along the gulf shoreline should also read this to have their eyes opened!
The description of the building storm, the travel of a tropical depression across the Atlantic, is especially good.
While the print in the paperback version is a little on the small side, I still enjoy this book and continue to work toward finishing it this summer.
Do consider it.
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Summary:
Isaac's Perspective
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Comment:
Having read the more recent novels by Erik Larson, I was somewhat reluctant to read "Isaac's Storm". Lacking some of the drama of a non-fiction novel, "Isaac's Storm" has a more myopic vision in its storytelling. While this is not necessarily a negative, it does limit the pull of the story compared to Larson's more recent books.
In many ways, the storm that hit Galveston, Texas in 1900 was partly to blame on miscommunication and partly to blame on human arrogance. Isaac Cline believe that a hurricane could never hit Galveston based on the records of the past. It is hard to imagine a storm having such an effect with modern technology as the storm of 1900. Yet human arrogance in 2005 created a repeat of these tragic results even with the benefit of technology.
The bureaucracy that was the Weather Bureau received little respect in the early 20th century. In many ways, the disrespect was deserved because of the scandals that reflected negatively on the service. The competition for information and be the "most right" caused some information to be neglected by other offices, while others refused to share data. Had information been properly shared, the magnitude of the storm's damage would have been smaller.
Though the conflict between the Cline Brothers is mentioned, I never felt Larson fully developed this part of the story. Joseph and Isaac Cline and their conflicting viewpoints strain their relationship for the rest of their lives. This important plotline seems to have gotten lost among the other human interest stories scattered throughout the book.
As a minor criticism, pictures may have helped to further the story for those who have difficulty visualizing this weather event's damage. Describing a picture that is not actually published in the book seems odd. The book should still prove to be a learning experience for most readers.
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Summary:
A Writer's Craft Evolves
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Comment:
After this book, Larson moved into a format that was very successful for him, spinning parallel non-fiction stories, one public (the 1893 Chicago Exposition) and one more private (a mass-murderer working in the vicinity of the exposition). "The Devil in the White City" and the later "Thunderstruck" made Larson's reputation. In "Isaac's Storm", the reader can see Larsen moving toward his later format, juxtaposing the stories of the Galveston townspeople with the machinations of the U.S. Weather Bureau. The reader can see how this book was a key step in Larsen's development. For those interested in the evolution in the craft of a writer, the insights are worthwhile.
However, "Isaac's Storm" is more than that. It's also a good story. The ominous air of the impending hurricane is evident from the beginning as the people of Galveston proceed with their daily lives and their civic improvements plans. Meanwhile, the Weather Bureau, with a hubris founded in a lack of experience, is denying the local staff the authority to make their own decisions and to recognize the signs of an approaching massive hurricane. A key point which Larsen tries to make is that a cultural bias prevented the Weather Bureau staff in Washington, D.C. from accepting a Cuban warning the hurricane was heading for Texas. However, it seems that the Cubans had provided earlier warnings that were not borne out. Thus, Larsen didn't make the case that the Weather Bureau was wrong to have ignored this warning. This failure, and a few hints that Larsen was still growing into his full powers, was my reason to deny the book the fifth star, but enjoyed the book regardless.
I'd recommend either of Larson's next two books over this one, but if you've read those two and are looking for more, you could do far worse than "Isaac's Storm".
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