#15 Isaacs Storm by Erik Larson Im a big fan of Erik Larson, and I always enjoy his ability to make historical events read like a novel. While based on actual events and people, his books always weave an intriguing tale, no matter the subject. This book concerns the 1900 hurricane that devastated Galveston, Texas. His descriptions of the storm and of the travails of those who lived through it are harrowing. The aftermath is even worse, with portions of the city almost completely leveled, and thousands dead. This hurricane remains the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history, with an estimated 8,000 deaths. Sadly, much of the loss of life can be blamed on petty squabbles within the Weather Bureau. Numerous warnings came from Cuba, but a moratorium on accepting information from Cuba was in place due to misplaced rivalries. Lives could have been saved if Galveston had received proper warnings, but Cuba was ignored. The Bureau maintained that the storm (which it refused to label a hurricane at the time) went north to Florida and up the Atlantic coast, even as it picked up strength and speed over the Gulf and barreled directly towards Galveston. Larson takes some liberties with his descriptions of what people did or thought, basing it on what human nature would dictate. However, his research is obviously extensive, and it makes for a good narrative. A very good, if horrifying, read.
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:12:39 +0000
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