At times the prose is a bit too purple, but Larson is engaging and keeps the book's tempo rising in pace with the wind and waves. Overall, Isaac's Storm recaptures at a time when, standing in the first year of the century, Americans felt like they ruled the world--and that even the weather was no real threat to their supremacy. Nature proved them wrong. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Isbn: 0375708278
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Earth Sciences - Meteorology & Climatology    3. Floods    4. Galveston    5. Galveston (Tex.)    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Hurricanes    10. Natural Disasters    11. Texas    12. United States - 20th Century    13. United States - General    14. United States - State & Local - General    15. History / United States / 20th Century   

While tracing the history of the nation's most destructive natural disaster, Barry explainshow ineptitude and greed helped cause the flood, and how the policies created to dealwith the disaster changed the culture of the Mississippi Delta. Existing racial riftsexpanded, helping to launch Herbert Hoover into the White House and shifting thepolitical alliances of many blacks in the process. An absorbing account of a little-known,yet monumental event in American history, Rising Tide reveals howhuman behavior proved more destructive than the swollen river itself. ... Read more

Isbn: 0684840022
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Flood control    3. Floods    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Mississippi River    9. Mississippi River Valley    10. Natural Disasters    11. United States - 20th Century/20s    12. United States - State & Local - General    13. History / United States / 20th Century   

The history of civil engineering may sound boring, but in David McCullough's hands it is, well, riveting. His award-winning histories of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Panama Canal were preceded by this account of the disastrous dam failure that drowned Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in 1889. Written while the last survivors of the flood were still alive, McCullough's narrative weaves the stories of the town, the wealthy men who owned the dam, and the forces of nature into a seamless whole. His account is unforgettable: "The wave kept on coming straight toward him, heading for the very heart of the city. Stores, houses, trees, everything was going down in front of it, and the closer it came, the bigger it seemed to grow.... The height of the wall of water was at least thirty-six feet at the center.... The drowning and devastation of the city took just about ten minutes." A powerful, definitive book, and a tribute to the thousands who died in America's worst inland flood. --Mary Ellen Curtin ... Read more

Isbn: 0671207148
Subjects:  1. Floods    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Johnstown    7. Johnstown (Pa.)    8. Pennsylvania    9. United States - 19th Century/Gilded Age    10. United States - State & Local - General    11. History / General   

Lord's account is also smarter about the horrifying class structure of thedisaster, which Cameron reduces to hollow Hollywood formula. No children died inthe First and Second Class decks; 53 out of 76 children in steerage died.According to the press, which regarded the lower-class passengers as a smallloss to society, "The night was a magnificent confirmation of women andchildren first, yet somehow the loss rate was higher for Third Class childrenthan First Class men." As the ship sank, writes Lord, "the poop deck,normally Third Class space ... was suddenly becoming attractive to all kinds ofpeople." Lord's logic is as cold as the Atlantic, and his bitter wit isquite dry. ... Read more

Isbn: 0553278274
Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. History: World    3. Maritime History    4. Modern - 20th Century    5. Ships & Shipbuilding - Shipwrecks    6. Titanic (Steamship)    7. History / Modern / 20th Century   

In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
by Doug Stanton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (April, 2001)
list price: $25.00 -- our price: $16.50
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Editorial Review

On July 26, 1945, the heavy cruiser Indianapolis steamed into port at the Pacific island of Tinian, carrying a cargo that would end World War II: the uranium that would be dropped on Hiroshima just three weeks later. Having delivered its load without incident, Indianapolis moved on toward the Philippines to join the great armada moving in on Japan. Though intelligence reports assured Captain Charles McVay that the route from Guam to Leyte was safe, there were Japanese submarines active in the area. On the night of July 29, having detected with sonar the clinking of dishes aboard the Indianapolis from a distance of more than a dozen miles, the submarine I-58 sank the American ship, killing nearly 900 sailors in the explosion and its terrible aftermath.

Captain McVay was quickly court-martialed for having failed to follow evasive maneuvers, "the first captain in the history of the U.S. Navy," Doug Stanton observes, "to be court-martialed subsequent to losing his ship in an act of war." Although the sailors under his command would insist that McVay had been scapegoated, and although I-58's commander testified before the court that "he would have sunk the Indianapolis no matter what course she was on," McVay was never able to clear his name. He committed suicide in 1968.

Stanton captures the drama of these events in his vigorous narrative, which augments and updates Richard Newcomb's Abandon Ship!. Stanton observes that although McVay was exonerated by an act of Congress in 2000, the conviction still stands in Navy records. Stanton's book makes a powerful case for why that conviction should be overturned, and why the captain and crew of the Indianapolis deserve honor. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (105)

Absolutely Fantastic Book......A Must Read
I am a relative beginner in the amount of books I have read to date on World War II, but the history and intrigue, not to mention the heroism and bravery of those involved fascinates me. Having had a great uncle who was an Anzac (whom I never met), and having visited "Hellfire Pass" on the Railway of Death in Northern Thailand on Anzac Day several years ago, my intense interest in all matters WW2 was born. This book obviously relates to an American experience, and I look forward to reading many more of them.

I bought this book in an airport bookshop, and once I started it, I literally couldn't stop reading until I had finished it. Doug Stanton has really created a fine masterpiece here, his style is such that the reader can depict vivid images in the mind of the story as it is being told, particularly once the ship goes down, and the horrible fate of the surviving crew following this. It is both spine chilling and enlightening at the same time, allowing those of us who never experienced war to have some insight into just how much unimaginable suffering was experienced by the soldiers involved.

Ultimately it is also a sad story in as much as after the ship was torpedoed and sunk, it took the time that it did before the allies realised that the ship was missing. This was due in part to the secrecy surrounding the ships primary mission. Had help arrived sooner, surely a great many more lives would have been saved.

It is the stuff of legends, and does justice to the memory of those who were lost in this terrible tragedy. Their ability to complete their mission of delivering one of the two Atom bombs dropped on Japan was instrumental in bringing a more rapid end to the Pacific War and is therefor, I feel, an important piece of history to know.

For readers young and old, with the slightest interest in WW2 history, this is certainly one of the most fascinating and well written books you are ever likely to read, and therefor a valuable edition to your collection. To the men of the USS Indi, I salute you. To readers who read my review, I strongly recommend this book to you, you will love it.

Great book
Don't start this book on a night you need to sleep.It's a terrific job.There are certain things I would have liked more details on (eg how the planes on the Indianapolis worked, or precisely what the various flotation set-ups looked like) but in a book this length Stanton is probably right on in his choices.The book is moving, informative, and damn hard to put down.

Gripping, Shocking, Inspiring
This story came to my attention when I was doing research on people left in open water, after the movie of the same name. Although sharks are a very small part of it, someone had mentioned this book and I picked it up.

You will not be able to put it down. And that it is a true story, and so senseless, will further astound you. The writing is superb, there is never a lull in the action, and you genuinely care about these sailors and their fate. ... Read more

Isbn: 0805066322
Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. History: American    4. Indianapolis (Cruiser)    5. Military - Naval    6. Military - United States    7. Military - World War II    8. Naval History - World War II    9. Naval operations    10. Naval operations, American    11. Pacific Ocean    12. Shipwrecks    13. World War, 1939-1945    14. History / Military / Naval   

The Perfect Storm : A True Story of Men Against the Sea
by Sebastian Junger
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (01 July, 1998)
list price: $6.99 -- our price: $6.99
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Editorial Review

Meteorologists called the storm that hit North America's eastern seaboard inOctober 1991 a "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factorsthat created it. For everyone else, it was perfect hell. In The Perfect Storm, authorSebastian Junger conjures for the reader the meteorological conditions that created the"storm of the century" and the impact the storm had on many of the peoplecaught in it. Chief among these are the six crew members of the swordfish boat theAndrea Gail, all of whom were lost 500 miles from home beneath roiling seasand high waves. Working from published material, radio dialogues, eyewitness accounts,and the experiences of people who have survived similar events, Junger attempts to re-create the last moments of the Andrea Gail as well as the perilous high-seasrescues of other victims of the storm.

Like a Greek drama, The Perfect Storm builds slowly and inexorably to its tragicclimax. The book weaves the history of the fishing industry and the science of predictingstorms into the quotidian lives of those aboard the Andrea Gail and of others whowould soon find themselves in the fury of the storm. Junger does a remarkable job ofexplaining a convergence of meteorological and human events in terms that make themboth comprehensible and unforgettable. ... Read more

Reviews (861)

Beware of offensive language
This is a true story of men against the sea, battling a fierce storm.
For mature readers only.Not only does the book require a high reading level, but it includes instances of offensive language.Near the beginning, there is a lot of reading about sailors spending time in bars.Also, the nature of the book causes there to be detail about people drowning, weather systems and ship design.

A little over dramatized
But good nonetheless.

Now that they turned this into a movie everyone knows the basic premise - that a small fishing vessel gets lost in a monster storm in the northeast.Having seen the movie first, I was actually surprised at how they turned the story around for the screen, switching some truly critical details to make the story a little more silver screen.

The author tells the story of the Andrea Gail and her 5 crew members through a series of educated guesses and inferences.He then surrounds these with all sorts of backup information and interviews that give you an idea of what could have been happening on the vessel without trying to say for a fact what happened - since it still unknown.So, for example, when Junger guesses that the window of the boat were probably blown out he then interviews fisherman who have lived through losing the windows on the bridge to give you a truthful account of what it could have been like on the AG.He also goes into quite a few side stories about weather, fishing, rescue operations - anything else that pertains to the story.

While on the whole the book is good it is obvious in many place that the facts and the story have been sensationalized to increase the drama and suspense.Without it, the story would have been just as good, a little more honest and better work overall.

A well written book about a killer storm
This book is part weather report, part fisherman's tale, and part climatological lesson.On their own, chances are the book would have been a flop.But throw them together, and add a spice of human interest, and you have the makings of a great book.

Sebastian Junger does a nice job of writing about a storm that took place off the coast of New England, and the effects it had on the community.And although one might thing a story about a storm might be kind of dull, the storm is really the main character of the book.Every detail on what goes into turning your average run-of-the-mill storm into a 'perfect' storm is well researched and well written.And perhaps most importantly, it is written in such a manner so that the average read isn't lost in a lot of scientific talk.

No matter what your background is, if weather is something that interests you, and on some levels weather and its causes and effects interests everyone, this book is worthwhile reading. ... Read more

Isbn: 006101351X
Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Natural Disasters    3. Nature    4. Nature/Ecology    5. New England    6. Northeast storms    7. Oceans & Seas    8. Specific Groups - General    9. Storms    10. Nature / Oceans & Seas    11. Reading Group Guide   

Trapped : The 1909 Cherry Mine Disaster (Illinois)
by Karen Tintori
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 2002)
list price: $25.00 -- our price: $25.00
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Reviews (6)

Absolutely riveting.....you won't put this one down!!!!
Karen Tintori's account of the Cherry, Ill. mining disaster quite unexpectedly turns out to be one of the best books I have read this year.Because the author's grandfather worked at that mine (he was home nursing a hangover the day of the disaster), Tintori was a woman on a mission.Her meticulously researched book takes you back nearly a century and recreates the scene so very well. We learn about the town and the imigrant miners who risked their lives each day to eke out a living.Tintori thenrecalls the unlikely set of tragic events that caused the fire at the mine and the heroic actions of the dozen men who time and time again went back into the inferno attempting to rescue those who were trapped.Fortunately, their efforts did not go unrewarded!!!The shocking part is that the mine continued normal operations for a couple of hours after the fire broke out, causing considerably more casualties than would have otherwise occurred.As a result of this tragedy,significant changes were made to existing Workmen's Compensation and coal mining safety laws.The town of Cherry maintains a small archive of the mine fire in the local town library.I believe it is open only one day a week.I was so moved by Karen Tintori's account of these tragic events that I really do want to visit that library someday.Don't miss this one!!!

A local point of view
I live 5 miles from Cherry, and we have already had a local author who retold the story several years ago, so I was interested to read the new version of events. The author has obviously done her research well, and attempted to relay the events in a logical sequence, but I felt the text needed more diagrams, possibly a glossary of mining terms. A list of the dead is included, but a list of survivors would be interesting from a local point of view.

Gripping and Informative
This is a real page turner. Karen Tintori does a great job of putting her story in context. She gives us a good feel for the mood of the times, and a fine appreciation for the life of a Cherry Hill miner. One fascinating part for me was how a series of small errors cascaded into a full scale catastrophe. Additionally, Tintori was able to interweave many different threads - the activities of the trapped miners underground, of the miners' families and mining company officials in Cherry Hill, and of government troops and experts arriving on fast amd efficient trains - into a cohesive and easy to follow tale. Most interesting of all were the steps that one group of miners took to stay alive. Their adventures, and those of their heroic would-be rescuers, give new insights on survival under all-but-impossible odds. This is a very involving story. If you are not afraid of an emotional roller coaster, then hop aboard for a ride! ... Read more

Isbn: 0743421949
Sales Rank: 237937
Subjects:  1. Cherry    2. Cherry Mine Disaster, Cherry,    3. Cherry Mine Disaster, Cherry, Ill., 1909    4. Coal mine accidents    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: American    8. Illinois    9. Mine accidents    10. United States - 20th Century    11. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    12. United States - General    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. United States - State & Local - Midwest    15. History / United States / 20th Century   

Into Thin Air : A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
by JON KRAKAUER
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 April, 1998)
list price: $7.99
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Editorial Review

Into Thin Air is a riveting first-hand account of a catastrophic expedition up Mount Everest. In March 1996, Outside magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, Into Thin Air clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in context by recalling the triumphs and perils of other Everest trips throughout history. The author's own anguish over what happened on the mountain is palpable as he leads readers to ponder timeless questions. ... Read more

Reviews (1314)

Que libro!
5 stars is short for this book, after reading It makes you feel quite dizzy, about how death can close so fast up there on a mountain, all of a sudden.

Nothing that an outsider expectator may say can change or diminish what is related here, about what happened on the spring of 96 at the top of World.

But I want to leave two messages, first for Beck Weathers, if you ever read this lines, I really would be proud for that, you define the term for endurance and principles.In my opinion Americans like you founded your country, and might stay at the TOP of United States too!!, I hope some day I could give you a hug personally, I never seen a survivor treated that bad!!... Sorry.

The other message is for Jon Krakauer, as an Ecuadorian Climber, and as a human I must say, forget that guilty feeling, after what you survived up there, you must thank God that you are still alive! just to remind you this: you did a great job up there and writing this unvaluable book.Astounding research, and a survivor hug too!

And for both of you, if you ever came to Ecuador give me a call with pleasure I can show you part of my amazing country.

Congratulations

Francisco

What a book, translated to spanish = Que libro!

Read 'The Climb' by Weston DeWalt Instead
Reading 'The Climb', you will come to understand that Krakauer is another overpaid Westerner, full of hubris. He slept in his tent after his return from the summit of Everest, knowing that others from his team were in peril.Alone, Anatoli Boukreev attempted a rescue.

Riveting - But Tread Cautiously Through It
This account ignited a long distilled passion for the mountains, and renewed interest in the Outdoors.Krakauer (the name itself conjures up courage and strength)writes with immediacy and more important, from firsthand experience.He's a hardcore adventurer, he's lived it, and is one of those rare, original people able to express what is often inexplicable.This book was easy to read in one or two sittings, and tremendously compelling (leading me to read Into The Wild and other books related to the 1996 Everest incidents).

I was also one of those chagrined to discover, after having loved and being incredibly excited by this book, that for all its accuracy, there are some areas that should not be read without circumspection.Although the book mostly avoids The Blame Game, it lapses into this once focus moves to the Head Climber of Mountain Madness, the heroic but inarticulate Boukreev.Krakauer's facts are interspersed with some opinions, and a few of these opinions, especially those of Boukreev (who died in 1997, in an avalanche on Annapurna 1, instead of remaining in America to receive one of the highest awards for mountaineering bravery) - some of these opinions are distasteful.

While I am merely a reader, and I respect and admire the talents of these men in the mountains a great deal, I do wonder what prompted Krakauer to pursue his character assissination of Boukreev.Krakauer has dogged determination in his writing as much as he does in his climbing, but also a stubbornness, and in writing Into Thin Air (which he did incredibly quickly after the fact) seems to strive to be seen as the one and only leading authority, acknowledging that it is not perfect, but nevertheless the complete'the best'and total story of that 1996 climb.This is unfortunate, because Krakauer himself was on the mountain, and his own perceptions were not 100%.He does succeed in communicating his experience with profundity.He fails though, in a few of his many interpretations, including of some of his own mishaps, and thus, has opened the door to a raging debate on 'what really happened', including, for example, what happened to Andy Harris, his encounter on the Kangshung Face, and important conversations he was not privy to close to the summit.

His 'Postscript' response to The Climb goes to great lengths, and like the rest of the book, turns out to be well worded, but does not hide what eventually are borne out to be a few inaccuracies (inadequacies?).His experience on Everest is not his best mountaineering experience (he was at one point assisted by 2 guides), and Boukreev fared far far better.Actions, should at the end of such events, speak louder than Krakauer's (or anyone else's) words, and Boukreev's actions do. Krakauer's behaviour on that day was quite limited by comparison.

Krakauer needs to be more gracious to a man who helped insure the safety of every one of the members on his team (all but the leader survived,) with no permanent damage, while 4 members of Krakauer's team died, and at least one survivor had severe and permanent damage.The idea should not be to blame people in mountains, when things go wrong, but to recognise the right things that happen that save lives.

Krakauer's own account of his meeting with Beck Weathers also differs from Weather's own version.Krakauer actually resisted Weather's desperate plea for assistance, although Krakauer paints a more gracious picture of himself in his story.The point though, is not to point fingers, and Boukreev puts it perfectly when he says 'each is responsible for his own ambition' on the mountain.Thus, others should not be blamed when things go wrong, but hopefully, will have the wherwithal to respond in these extreme circumstances.The reality in the Death Zone is one person who breaks down, slows down, and needs assistance causes a domino effect, it leads to an exponential increase in the risks to the lives of others, as valuable resources of energy and oxygen and time get used up.

We live inworld of soundbites, of show, and of course the 1996 Incident has been written about, and made into a television show.

Into Thin Air powerfully communicates the meaning and drama of that high world.It's most important defects though, are notrecognising the astonishing courage of a man who stood up through the storm that day while it seemed everyone else, including the sherpas, whimpered in their tents.Few understand what happened, and Into Thin Air sadly perpetuatesthat mystification as far as it communicates Broukeev's role.Read The Climb after Into Thin Air, for more perspective.It's equally engrossing, well written, but a far more genuine account. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385492081
Subjects:  1. Accidents    2. Adventure Consultants    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Everest, Mount (China and Nepa    5. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    6. Guided Expedition    7. Mountaineering    8. Mountaineering accidents    9. Mountaineering expeditions    10. Special Interest - Adventure    11. Sports    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Sports - General    14. Krakauer, Jon    15. Sports & Recreation / Mountaineering   

The Circus Fire : A True Story of an American Tragedy
by STEWART O'NAN
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (12 June, 2001)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $10.50
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Editorial Review

As some 9,000 people watched the Wallendas begin their high-wire act on July 6, 1944, a fire started on the sidewall of the big top at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The tent had been waterproofed with a mixture of 6,000 gallons of white gasoline and 18,000 pounds of paraffin; common practice for circuses at the time. In minutes, the entire tent was engulfed in flames. In the rush for the exits, people were trampled and burned--some beyond recognition. In the end, 167 were dead and 487 injured, of whom 140 required hospitalization. The city of Hartford, Connecticut, would never be the same. Stewart O'Nan brings his storytelling ability to the tragedy of The Circus Fire.

Several survivors said the one thing they will never forget about the circus fire as long as they live is the sound of the animals as they burned alive. But there were no animals.

O'Nan interviewed dozens of witnesses and examined police reports, newspaper accounts, and court documents while researching the fire. The result is an engrossing--though agonizingly painful--account of the great fire and its aftermath. He probes the tragedy's enduring mysteries--How did the fire start? Who are the unidentified victims?Who is Little Miss 1565?--and offers up conclusions of his own. He also provides remarkable vignettes of panic, heroism, and grief: Merle Evans and the band playing "The Stars and Stripes Forever," the circus disaster march, over and over; Bill Curlee, standing atop the wild animal chute throwing trapped children to safety; the Cote sisters, who made it home safely then broke down when asked why they were back so early. O'Nan tells their stories with compassion--albeit with a slight tendency toward the macabre.

Moving, saddening, gruesome--yet car-crash compelling--The Circus Fire is a gripping read. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney ... Read more

Reviews (56)

Convoluted and totally confusing....
Mr. O'Nan should have taken a refresher course in basic writing.His skipping and skimming and throwing to and fro people, events, etc., is downright frustrating and confuses the project.Unlike superior literary treatments (see Walter Lord's TITANIC), this book leave you with more questions than anything else and the urge to take a long, hot shower.

History brought to life
I grew up in Connecticut, so all my life on the anniversary of the Circus Fire, articles would appear in the local newspaper but never seemed to tell the whole story of what happened afterwards in the lives of those who were touched by this tragedy.Stewart O'Nan does a fantastic job of putting together many of the pieces of this disaster and does so in an interesting and informative way.The subject of the Circus Fire was always thought-provoking, as my dad had a chance to attend the circus that day and did not go . . . .I may never have existed if he had made the trip!

A complete disappointment
It is difficult to believe that such a slow and dull book could be written about such a compelling subject.The reviewers who have lamented the short, choppy paragraphs that irritatingly jump from one scene to another, without benefit of full explanation or connection, are correct to scorn the overall poor writing that makes up this book.I had to read some paragraphs several times and even then didn't understand what I was reading.It was nearly impossible to picture most of the action in my mind, as it was mostly just a jumbled collection of facts and anecdotes that rambled on and on and on.The description of the fire itself drags on chaotically for fifty tedious pages, which incited one yawn after another.The book lacks any sense of focus and the author uses a very poor choice of words in many instances.For example, the narrative is littered with sentences like: "She made for the east exit..."Okay, fine, but did she run, walk, crawl, hop, skip, jump, or fly to the east exit?I just don't know what to picture there.The word "made" says nothing descriptive and is therefor about the worst word that could have been chosen.This type of problem occurs on every page of the book.I haven't read anything else the author has written, so I hate to be so critical.I wonder, however, why his editor didn't send his manuscript back to him with thousands of suggestions.I felt as if I was reading a very hastily-prepared early draft.I have read many gripping books about disasters and survival situations.This just isn't one of them.Compare "The Circus Fire" to "Into Thin Air," "Heart of the Sea," "Batavia's Graveyard," or "Ordeal by Hunger" and you'll understand what I mean. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385496850
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Circus    3. Connecticut    4. Fires    5. General    6. Hartford    7. Hartford Circus Fire, Hartford, Conn., 1944    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. United States - State & Local - General    12. History / General   

To Sleep with the Angels : The Story of a Fire (Illinois)
by David Cowan
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 October, 1998)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
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Reviews (69)

Great book on a terrible tragedy
This really is the only book about the Our Lady of the Angels fire (except Michele McBride's understandably bitter personal account), and it is quite well-written, fair, and reasonably complete.And extremely emotional.I can't remember ever reading a book which so saddened and touched me.I can't really add anything to what the other reviewers have said either, except that I wish the book had footnotes, sources and was a bit more in depth.I would also recommend the PBS documentary Angels Too Soon and www.olafire.com, an extremely detailed and valuable website.

AUTHORS REFLECTIONS ARE WONDERFUL
On December 1, 1958, a tragic fire swept through a Chicago Catholic School, killing ninety-five people, mostly young students.Although the fire received international attention at first, it was soon forgotten by most and dissapeared from the national conciousness.

'To Sleep With The Angels' tells the complete story of this fire.The first portion describes the fire and the immediate aftermath.Middle chapters examine the search for the cause (arson).The last third or so looks at how the survivors adjusted to life after the disaster and what became of them.

In many ways I feel the last section, dealing with reflections, to be the best.The authors tell how the survivors were told to 'forget the event' and not talk about it. The mental suppression had its harmful effects, as always.The Chicago neighborhood broke up and became another victim of the fire.Only recently have many felt free to discuss their experiences.I hope the authors will devote their efforts to writing about other famous disasters in the future.

Every emotion comes out with this book
This is perhaps the most heartbreaking book I have ever read.It takes very little time in getting to the fire.A variety of factors (an old school building, ignorance of the blaze, very disciplined students, teachers not realizing the danger, absurd school fire policies, and incorrect information given to the Chicago Fire Department) led to this tragedy.The book gives perspectives from surviving students, teachers, priests, parents, firemen, policemen, and journalists.There are many disturbing passages and a few pictures that just took my breath away (among those a firemen carrying a deceased boy).It is hard to believe that this fire back in 1958 is still "unsolved".The end of the book tells of two suspects and how the Catholic Church stonewalled the investigation.The book also does a great job of telling about the many consequences of the fire- some felt years later.

Although most of the book can be gut-wrenching there are moments of triumph as well.Many firemen and citizens are heralded for their bravery and quick thinking.The book also tells the tragic tale of the school janitor who saved many lives yet was later considered a suspect and his life virtually destroyed.

This book really came to life when I saw a PBS documentary about the fire.Most of the people in the book are featured. ... Read more

Isbn: 156663217X
Sales Rank: 157490
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Chicago    3. Chicago (Ill.)    4. Elementary    5. Elementary schools    6. Fires    7. Fires and fire prevention    8. History    9. History - General History    10. Illinois    11. True Crime    12. United States - 20th Century/50s    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. History / United States / State & Local   

The Texas City Disaster, 1947
by Hugh W. Stephens
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1996)
list price: $18.95 -- our price: $12.89
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Reviews (7)

Little Known Event
I never read about this event in any of my history books. This story of events grips the reader or at least me and had me questioning how things could go so bad. It does not really touch you on an emotional level but more on an intellectual one. The information is all there and is told in matter-of-fact prose.It does not really editorialize and that is what I liked about it.

Thorough, but neither personal nor exciting.
This is a horrible disaster which needs to be known to all of us. As far as facts and figures, causes and blames, go, the book is thorough. What it is NOT is exciting or dramatic. I have read lots of disaster fiction and nonfiction, and what I find lacking in this book is the personal element--most such books DO include some of the many personal dramas which are part of such a major event. Lacking these, the book does not "touch" one the way it should. Similarly, the lack of personal histories weakens the drama inherent in such an event.

Certainly, read the book for the facts. But do not expect gripping drama.

A look in the mirror
Growing up on the upper Texas coast, this story was a staple of our childhood. We all knew the reason for the anchor at the entrance to the Texas City Dyke and the destruction that was caused as a result of the explosion of the Grandcamp and later the High Flyer. I worked at the Monsanto plant for a time after it was sold to Sterling Chemical, and the anniversary of that day is something everyone there takes very seriously.

This book explores the reasons why this tragedy happened and the response of authorities under tremendous pressure. If you are unfamiliar with the tragedy, Hugh Stevens does a great job of walking you through the events leading up to the initial explosion of the Grandcamp and the subsequent explosion of the High Flyer.

This book should be required reading for everyone who lives/works in an industrial area, local authorities and government officials. While reading this, though, I realized that this type of tragedy is not relegated to the past. Something like this can happen again, even with the safety precautions. No industrial town is immune to this type of tragedy... ... Read more

Isbn: 029277723X
Sales Rank: 321906
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Disasters    3. Fires    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: American    7. Texas    8. Texas City    9. Texas City (Tex.)    10. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    11. United States - State & Local - General   

Killer 'Cane : The Deadly Hurricane of 1928
by Robert Mykle
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (July, 2002)
list price: $26.95 -- our price: $17.79
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Reviews (9)

Unimaginable destruction................
Killer 'caneis a well researched book about the 1928 hurricane that swept through the Caribbean and the Bahamas as a category 5 and then hit the Florida coast around Palm Beach.
The research includes 20original interviews of individuals by the author and several interviews done by others, as well as numerous documents, books, articles and pamphlets.
The lack of forecasting knowledge, the limited understanding of the potential danger and the desire to not frighten people ( tourists and land investors) all combined with the sheer power of an approaching category 5 hurricaneto create unimaginable devastation and destruction.
Robert Mykle gives the history of the Lake Okeechobee area, explaining the richness of the land, the potential for farming as well as the hardships faced. The creation of the wall to hold back the water seemed so right at the time.Mykle puts the human face on the disaster by introducing the families that lived and struggled with life on the edge of the Everglades, the farmers, the entrepreneurs, the migrant workers. We see and get a taste of their hopes and dreams, and then we see it all wiped clean.
Mykle also includes enough meteorology facts for a basic understanding of hurricane formation and motion.
Forecasting has come so far and yet there is still so much that can change, unpredictably, in the blink of an eye, that this is an important book to read to remind us of the pure power that a hurricane can unleash on us.
After having been through Fran, Bonnie, Floyd, Dennis (in NC) Isabel (in VA) and Charlie & Frances (in FL) and currently watching the approach of IVAN I think it is important to not grow complacent and to be able to put a human face on the destruction a hurricane leaves in it's wake.

The Story of a Nightmare Come True
Every adult who lives within 50 miles of the Atlantic or Gulf coasts of the United States should read Killer Cane. Hurricanes are deadly, but quiet hurricane seasons in the past decade have given coastal residents a sense that hurricanes won't hit them. But they will. I survived two hurricanes, and they were pure horror. They were Category One hurricanes, the weakest kind, but they tore off roofs and smashed property like gigantic maniacs.

Robert Mykle's fine book describes a Category Four hurricane that came ashore near Palm Beach in 1928. A Category One hurricane causes some damage, while a Category Five causes complete destruction, so you can imagine the strength of a Category Four. But destruction didn't stop at the coast. The hurricane moved inland to rip into the farming communities at the south end of Lake Okeechobee, 40-50 miles inland from Palm Beach. Winds of 150 miles-per-hour and more than 12 inches of rain destroyed almost everything in its path, and killed some 2000 people. The real cost of this disaster is the effect on its victims, and Mykle introduces us to many of the doomed families as they go about their business, not knowing that the day after tomorrow will be their last on earth. We come to care about them. We mourn those killed and feel the suffering of survivors in the aftermath. This is a great strength of the book, and Robert Mykle has done a terific job of presenting a harrowing story in human terms. It is well worth reading.

Tells the story from the human perspective
In the early period of the last century three great hurricanes devastated Florida.Miami was hit in 1926, The everglades in 28, and the keys in 35.The Miami storm is known for finishing the land boom and the keys storm is famous for being the most powerful hurricane ever and killing WWI veterans on work detail. Mykle's book examines the least well known of the three, the storm of 1928.The everglades storm actually killed the most people by far, but is less well remembered because most of its victims were poor and black.But the hurricane makes for a fascinating story in any case.Mykle tells it through the lives of several everglades families who experienced the calamity, often suffering considerable loss.He covers the disaster from several angles, and so there is something in this book for everyone.

My one fault with this book is that the author focuses a little too much on the individuals and not enough on other features of the catastrophe.We hear little, for instance, about what the hurricane did to Puerto Rico.But this should not dissuade anyone from buying the book on the killer Cane of 28. ... Read more

Isbn: 081541207X
Sales Rank: 435789
Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Everglades    4. Everglades (Fla.)    5. Florida    6. General    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Hurricanes    11. Natural Disasters    12. United States - 20th Century (1900-1945)    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. American history: from c 1900 -    15. History / General    16. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    17. USA   

A World Turned Over : A Killer Tornado and the Lives It Changed Forever
by Lorian Hemingway
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (11 July, 2002)
list price: $23.00 -- our price: $16.10
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Reviews (15)

A piece of history for a fellow Jacksonian
I discovered this book through a mention of it in the New York Times Book Review. It caught my eye because I grew up in Jackson, MS. I had heard about the Candlestick Tornado many times in childhood, but knew little about the details. I really enjoyed Ms. Hemingway's ability to evoke the Jackson environment. We also ran behind the fog machine as children, although I lived in North Jackson and there we called it "the mosquito man." Ms. Hemingway writes lyrically, and her descriptions of the people and families affected by the tornado are quite affecting. I had tears in my eyes several times. The only reason I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 is because the book is a little repetitive, and because I wish she would have told us a little more about the aftermath, how the shopping center owner was able to afford to rebuild his building. A few facts and figures would have added to the book for me. Although I live in the North now, I can say that fellow Southerners will recognize immediately how well Ms. Hemingway describes Southern culture, both then and now. Northerners may learn a thing or two about Southerners by reading this book.

lushly written
Lorian Hemingway's "A World Turned Over" is beautifully, lushly written.In a dreamer's evocative prose, she tells the story of the severe tornado that struck Jackson, Mississippi, in the spring of 1966, destroying the Candlestick Shopping Center. Hemingway, a girl of 10 at the time, had moved away shortly before the storm came.

More than thirty years later, she returned to there to claim her own memories, and to record the recollections of people whose lives had been forever changed, some by the loss of a family member, some by witnessing sites that burned upon their souls. When they see the sky taking on that peculiar yellow tinge, when they hear the sirens, their bodies respond with pounding hearts, shallow breathing, goosebumps.They react not only to the sight and sounds, but to their own memories.

Suffused with that sense of place which other southern writers also express so well, with the scents, sounds, sights of that region called "home", Hemingway's book will transport you to the Jackson she knew as a child, and to that March afternoon when the familiar world was turned upside down.

This book deserves a wide readership!Highly recommended!

More childhood memoir than disasterbook
This book seems out of place in the "disaster book" genre.The author seems more concerned with reliving her childhood.Not a very good read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0684856344
Sales Rank: 511872
Subjects:  1. Disaster Relief & Rescue Operations    2. History - General History    3. Jackson    4. Jackson (Miss.)    5. Mississippi    6. Natural Disasters    7. Nature    8. Nature/Ecology    9. Psychological aspects    10. Tornadoes    11. United States - State & Local - General    12. Weather    13. History / United States / State & Local   

Caught In The Path, A Tornado's Fury, A Community's Rebirth
by Carolynglenn Brewer
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1997)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $12.71
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Reviews (12)

Ruskin Revisited
The book was perhaps more interesting since I have not been back to Ruskin.I was also a classmate of Judy Hembree and others in the book.We did not dwell on the tornado aftermath in the 60s, but now realize that it shaped our reaction to crisis.

Nice read.

Great content, could have used better editing
This book is a gripping and compelling story of the May 20 1957 tornado in the words of the survivors 20-30 years later.It has personal interest to me as a life-long Kansas City resident, tornado obsessor and '50s buff.In the mid to late 1980s, I resided in apartments which were adjacent to the railroad tracks and just south of the Ruskin shopping center.I figuratively could not put the book down once I started.My only criticism would be the large number of spelling and grammar errors.

A roaring success!
I came across this book on a visit to St. Louis and grabbed it.It may just be the best book ever written about a tornado--it's riveting start to finish and the spotlight is on people and their lives.It's a great movie in print with a terrific plot, memorable characters and a lot of heroism mixed in. ... Read more

Isbn: 0965577406
Sales Rank: 209383
Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. History: American    3. Natural Disasters    4. Nature    5. United States - State & Local - General    6. General Interest    7. Social History    8. Tornadoes