Recommended Book - Isaac's Storm

[WMcD]

Nothing to do with speakers or recent politics.

But this is a wonderful read of narrative history.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/isaacsstorm/

No affiliation of course. I liked Larson's later works. This one is a masterpiece. I'm impressed beyond recovery.

Best,

WMcD

[Daddy Dee]

Gil, thanks for the link. Looks fascinating.

[Mallette]

I'm impressed beyond recovery.

Indeed. I read it from preface to index without putting down right after it came out. Incredibly evocative moment by moment account of by far the worst natural disaster to ever hit the US. You have to be quite brain dead for your heart not to race and your deepest fears not be roused. I live by Galveston Bay and my earliest memories are visiting that city and hearing tales...some by the few remaining old survivors...of that horrific night.

There is a very fine docuementary based on the book, and it's my belief that it would provide fodder for one a film that would surpass Titanic in spellbinding horror, heroics, and drama.

The fact it hasn't been made suggests Hollywood would starve to death in a grocery store.

Dave

[Boxx]

Nothing to do with speaker or recent politics.

But this is a wonderful read of narrative history.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/isaacsstorm/

No affiliation of course. I liked Larson's later works. This one is a masterpiece. I'm impressed beyond recovery.

Best,

WMcD

T

Nothing to do with speaker or recent politics.

But this is a wonderful read of narrative history.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/isaacsstorm/

No affiliation of course. I liked Larson's later works. This one is a masterpiece. I'm impressed beyond recovery.

Best,

WMcD

Thanks for the heads up. I will be placing an order on Amazon today.... Thanks...

[Chris A]

There was a good account of the 1900 hurricane at Ashton Villa - a 16mm movie with lots of pictures that you really don't want to see. Galveston had the highest per capita income in the U.S. until that storm hit. Houston was born after that storm. I believe that it is still rated as the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. The stories are generally awful. The "seawall" is an amazing engineering feat that raised the entire east end of the island (3.3 miles long) by 15 17 feet on the Gulf side (subsidence has stolen back at least two feet from that level since) , and gradually sloping back to sea level on the Bay side of the island. It is still hard to imagine how they afforded to do that. It was said that they jacked up the houses using gangs of laborers who sang spirituals in order to synchronize all the action of the jacks for each mansion raised. Later, dredgers filled in under each house and in every neighborhood until the entire city was lifted.

I lived on 81st and Seawall and worked on Pelican Island from May 1979-Sept 1981. Tropical Storm Claudette (1979) hit bringing 42 inches rain in 48 hours - which I believe is still a U.S. record. Hurricane David (cat. 5) and Hurricane Allen (cat. 5) narrowly missed: I was ridiculed at work for taking off a day each time in order to move my hi-fi gear to higher ground (west Houston) during those storms.

The entire culture feels "transitory", and that is one tough port town--believe me. I moved away when the second 7-Eleven store attendant was murdered within 1000 ft. of the apartment complex. Automobiles last ~50% as long due to having to drive through high water and living in constant salt spray: there actually is a reason to own a Corvette if you live there, i.e., fiberglass body.

Chris

[Marvel]

I remember the NPR story about Galveston. There was an orphanage run by soem Catholic sisters, and they tied everyone together as the storm worsened, praying no one would get lost. They ended up washing out to sea, still tied together.

Here's a few photos of the aftermath...

http://www.npr.org/multimedia/2008/09/galveston_1900/gallery/

Bruce

[Mallette]

When I was in AIT at Fort Ben Harrison back in the 70's they had quite a large library with microfilm of the New York Times. I started with the first one paragraph headed "bad storm hits Galveson...no reports"

Each day, the paragraph grew. By about six days after the storm it was "Galveston Destroyed" or something similar. The reports went on for weeks as news came in of the massive loss of life, destruction, disruption, the burning of stacks of bodies, shooting of looters, etc and then began to taper off. It was as good as reading a book and, in fact, would make a good one on it's own.

As I mentioned, I was raised with tales of the 1900 storm and it continues to fascinate me.

See what you think of one of my theories: One reason the storm resonates is for the same reason as "Titanic." A story of the hubris to build a city on the sand and believe that a storm just couldn't and wouldn't destroy it. Much of the city was at 4 feet! Ike's surge a few years ago was 17 feet...do the math.

Further, this belief it couldn't happen is reflected in Isaac, an otherwise exceptional scientist who saw all the signs but bought into the myth that "it can't happen in Galveston."

Today, Galveston's population is only slightly more than in 1900. It is incredible how much remains of the pre-1900 city. The Strand is a wonderful place and the building Isaac's weather station was in remains much as it was. Many other massive government, institutional, and church buildings do as well that were lifted intact when they raised the entire level of the city by eight feet, 17 feet at the Seawall, slanting the ground so water would run off into the bay. (Interesting note: The engineer responsible for this remarkable feat was Henry Martyn Robert, who also developed Robert’s Rules of Order.) The grade raising was so successful that when another hurricane as ferocious as the 1900 storm swept down on Galveston in 1915, the city was safe and only eight people were killed. This is one of the great engineering feats of all time. Most of time the seawall is described as a great project, but when people see it that aren't all that impressed...because it isn't the wall but the raising of the entire city what was amazing and many aren't aware of this!

I can't be sure how others might react to this book, but for me the images of wind so fierce it whined rather than howled, of the great debris wall that formed behind the beach trolley rails and then pushed inward destroying all it's path, and houses filled with terrified people suddenly lifted and thrown into darkness and water filled my mind. And then, there were the orphans tied together and singing...like Titanic only far more sad...in their last moments.

I was disappointed in the small statue that was raised a while back on the seawall, not so much in content but in failure to capture the magnitude. Frankly, I'd have preferred a much larger figure shooting the bird out to sea. [:@] THAT's the spirit of "BOIs" as we refer to Galvestonians who were "Born On the Island."

Dave

[LarryC]

Here are three books outstanding in depth, clarity and interest that I've read over the past two or so years:

The Ninth: Beethoven and the World in 1824 This has to come from a lifetime of studying the political and musical history that led up to the Ninth (what other Ninth is there?) by the author, music historian Harvey Sachs. Definitely a fine, deep read. It helps to be familiar with the symphony and Beethoven's works, so I don't know how big the barrier is to non-classical fans, but it might be too much for many readers. Only 200 pages, so it's not a massive read.

Pearl Harbor: FDR Leads the Nation Into War This was the book behind the History Channel special (224 pages). It focuses down on the leadup to the attack on Pearl as seen from inside the White House, the decision for FDR to make a brief but masterful address to Congress and the Nation, and the laborious preparation and delivery by the cripple with essentially dead legs. Many unprecedented decisions had to be made, as FDR once again showed his unique capability when up against a world-class emergency. Little doubt is left that, while FDR and his lieutenants knew a Japanese attack would occur somewhere, they had no idea or against what country. The feckless and unthinking lack of preparation at Pearl and in the Phillippines of course shocked everyone, but that's a whole 'nother story and book or two. E.g., At Dawn We Slept: The Untold Story of Pearl Harbor (873 pages).

Battle for Justice: How the Bork Nomination Shook America Excellent research, thought, and organized narrative IMO. I'm only part way through it, but think it explains a lot. Notwithstanding later propaganda, it seems clear that Bork shot himself down and the public turned against him (the way I remember it). A classic example of "overreach" for these times IMO, from back in the days when liberals were better organized and made better, more effective decisions than the opponents. Big mistake by Reagan to nominate him (seemingly led by his own ideology, IMO) (400 pages).

[tigerwoodKhorns]

I just requested it from the library. I look forward to reading it.

Don't want to hijack the thread, but will this turn into a recommended book thread? I have read a few good ones lately.

[Panacea Engineering]

Gil,

Just downloaded Issac's Storm to my Kindle......Can't put it down.....! Hard to even take time to write this post....Thanks for probably keeping me up all night reading....![]

GREAT Reccomendation......!

W. C.

[Mallette]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but will this turn into a recommended book thread?

Not my thread, but looks like an evergreen to me...

Dave

[Boxx]

I just placed my order for this book through Amazon.

Also, for any of you that have an interest in the saga of "The Alamo," Jim Donovan has a new book out. It is titled The Blood of Heroes: The 13-Day Struggle for the Alamo--and the Sacrifice That Forged a Nation.

This one has received excellent reviews.... (It is on order, also.)

This topic (recommended books) looks to be an excellent one for a continuing thread here on the Forum.

[DizRotus]

I've enjoyed each of Erik Larson's books that I've read (I've not yet read Naked Consumer).

If you liked Isaac's Storm, you'll probably enjoy The Devil in the White City (serial killer and Chicago World's Fair) and In the Garden of Beasts (inside Germany prior to WWII).