Product Description
Rubin Carter is the Hurricane. A pistol shot in a bar room ruined his chances of becoming the middleweight champion of the world. But he did not fire the gun. Nineteen long years in prison, a massively high profile campaign to release him that failed, and the persistence of an unlikely supporter finally saw him free.This is the story of a raging bull who learned to accommodate that rage. The Hurricane is an authentic C20th hero, every inch a fighter.Rubin Carter was a boxer on the threshold of the Middleweight Championship, with all the celebrity and wealth that would have conferred, when he was picked off the streets of Paterson, New Jersey by the police and accused of first degree murder in a bar room shooting. It was 1966, when America was gripped by racial rioting and burgeoning Black Power movements. Rubin faced an all-white jury. He was convicted. Liberal America adopted the campaign to release him in the 1970s -- Candice Bergen, Mohammad Ali and Bob Dylan all protested for his release -- but he remained in jail until 1985.Then, one man doggedly self-educated in the law finally achieved what years of high-profile lobbying had not: he freed Rubin Carter and righted one of the most significant cases of American injustice this century. Hurricane is a biography of modern America's great flaw: race relations. It is the story of a troublesome but gifted man, a paratrooper, a boxer, from the poorer side of the tracks, who was crudely and cruelly convicted of a crime he did not commit. Failed by the justice process, Rubin Carter proved himself a fighter all over again outside of the boxing ring, and a genuine hero in the process. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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Hurricane Katrina not only devastated a large area of the nation's Gulf coast, it also raised fundamental questions about ways the nation can, and should, deal with the inevitable problems of economic risk and social responsibility. This volume gathers leading experts to examine lessons that Hurricane Katrina teaches us about better assessing, perceiving, and managing risks from future disasters.

In the years ahead we will inevitably face more problems like those caused by Katrina or by fire, earthquake, or even a flu pandemic. America remains in the cross hairs of terrorists, while policy makers continue to grapple with important environmental and health risks. Each of these scenarios might, in itself, be relatively unlikely to occur. But it is statistically certain that we will confront such catastrophes, or perhaps one we have never imagined, and the nation and its citizenry must be prepared to act. That is the fundamental lesson of Katrina.

The 20 contributors to this volume address questions of public and private roles in assessing, managing, and dealing with risk in American society and suggest strategies for moving ahead in rebuilding the Gulf coast. ... Read more

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It's a sunny, beautiful day on America's southeastern coast. But out in the Atlantic Ocean, chaos is brewing. Waves are crashing. Winds are blowing. And the National Hurricane Center is calling the Hurricane Hunters!

A special weather reconnaissance squadron of the Air Force, these brave men and women fly their WC-130 Hercules aircraft into the heart of a two-hundred-mile-wide hurricane and collect information: in which direction the hurricane is heading, how fast it's moving, and how big it's growing. Before the end of their twelve-hour flight, the Hurricane Hunters will have gathered enough information to save many lives.

Acclaimed author and artist Chris L. Demarest takes you inside the storm with these real-life adventurers who risk their lives to keep our shorelines safe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

How do we know when and where will the next hurricane strike?
Ride along on a data-collecting flight into a hurricane aboard a WC-130 Hercules aircraft. Dramatic and vibrant full-page pastel illustrations capture the intensity of this dangerous mission. As technologically advanced as our weather satellites are, much information about wind speed, humidity, temperature, and barometric pressure inside the eye of the storm can be gathered only by the physical presence of the brave men and women who venture there.Their efforts allow meteorologists to better predict all implications of a developing hurricane. The text is brief and spare. An excellent author's note at the end provides historical background of these "hurricane hunters".

A unique focus on how hurricanes are tracked and studied by today's technologies
Hurricane Hunters! Riders On The Storm by Chris Demarest tells of the men and women who fly their aircraft into the heart of a hurricane to collect information for science. Very highly recommended for school libraries, Hurricane Hunters! Riders On The Storm differs from your usual weather books explaining hurricane developments by offering a unique focus on how hurricanes are tracked and studied by today's technologies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Think of this book as a psychic box of matches and candles.
"Divine Tempest: The Hurricane As a Psychic Phenomenon," by David E. Scheon (Sudies in Jungian Psychology by a Certified Jungian Analysts) Jungian analyst David Schoen who practices in Covington, Louisiana, is literally writing up a storm in this study of hurricanes, which is very accessible and lively.Schoen describes how we dream of hurricanes, dread them, and secretly anticipate them, as well as providing a fascinating mythological and archetypal context for these terrifying-and purifying-storms.(There are some perhaps unintentionally amusing moments: Does Nash Roberts, a famous Gulf Coast meteorologist, have such success forecasting hurricanes because he was a "veil baby"?Did Hurricane Audrey's destruction of Cameron, Louisiana fish processing plant really provide an "opportunity for rebirth" for the 450 convicts who vanished afterward?)Hurricanes-and psychic storms-are inevitable.Think of this book as a psychic box of matches and candles. ... Read more

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Beautiful Remains: Words and Pictures Rescued from Hurricane Katrina recaptures poetry and images nearly drowned, but not forgotten. These poems and photographs, many previously unpublished, pay homage to the human spirit and the power of memory. With this collection, author Lisa Pertillar Brevard and photographer Frank Brevard illustrate the importance of reaching back, in order to move forward. The photographs are not about New Orleans; instead, they constitute a gallery, of sorts, of over twenty years of Frank's life as a photographer; they chronicle aspects of various peoples and locales, and formed the nexus of Frank's solo exhibit at Dillard University, the very first exhibit of its kind at the university (Excerpt from Foreword.) ---- The song lyrics, or poems, are also not about New Orleans. They concern the human spirit, with topics ranging from forgiveness, to social activism, to love (perhaps the most forgiving of all acts). Some were written in New Orleans; others were written during the days before we lived in New Orleans. All were recorded as songs, at Cocoon, Lisa's New Orleans digital recording studio, which was drowned by the waters of Hurricane Katrina. As this book attests, recordings may be drowned; but songs do not die, however, as long as the songwriter and singer (re)collects them. (Excerpt from Foreword.) ---- INDEX ---- After the Storm (poem/lyrics), p. 35 ---America the Beautiful (photo), p. 24 ---[Bedford-Stuyvesant] (photo), p. 7 ---Brooklyn Bridge (photo), p. 5 ---[Derelict ship] (photo), p. 4 ---Dr. Benjamin E. Mays (photo), p. 31 ---Dreamstreet (photo), p. 9 ---Frank Brevard (Artist s Resume), pp. 39-41 ---Give Me (poem/lyrics), p. 15 ---God Is (poem/lyrics), p. 19 ---God Loves Us All (photo), p. 18 ---Hurt Who You Gonna Hurt, p. 8 ---I See You (photo), p. 27 ---I Want to Thank You (poem/lyrics), p. 30 ---Keystone Church of God in Christ (photo), p. 16 ---Lisa Pertillar Brevard (Selected Works), p. 37-38 ---Looking Through the Window (poem/lyrics), p. 12 ---Mackinac Bridge (photo), p. 1 ---[New York City skyline] (photo), p. 25 ---People Be (poem/lyrics), p. 21 ---Portrait of a Sister (photo), p. 28 ---Praise the Lord (A New Day Is Come) (poem/lyrics), p. 17 ---Save Our Black Colleges (photo), p. 20 ---Shadow Ascent (photo), p. 36 ---Sistahs (photo), p. 33 ---So Long Ago (And So Far) (poem/lyrics), p. 10 ---Soul Clap Hands and Sing (poem/lyrics), p. 23 ---Squeeze Play (photo), p. 26 --- Treat Her Right (poem/lyrics), p. 29 ---Tree in Contrast (photo), p. 13 ---Tumblin Faster (poem/lyrics), p. 6 ---United We Stand (photo), p. 22 ---Water Under the Bridge (poem/lyrics), p. 2 ---Winter Trail (photo), p. 14 ---Workin On Movin On (poem/lyrics), p. 32 ---Young German Girl (photo), 11 ... Read more

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HURRICANES HAVE EYES BUT CAN'T SEE is a photographic exploration into the world of weather. Topics include hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and dust storms. Readers will be amazed by the fun, fast facts, while teachers and parents will appreciate the light, informative text and easy-to-follow format. Melvin and Gilda Berger are the authors of the bestselling and critically acclaimed Scholastic Q&A series, among many other books for children. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (22)

terrific read reviewed bya crank
This is a terrific book that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I found my way to it after reading the stellar reviews in The New York Post and The Washington Post.Everyone I've talked to who remembers the hurricane vouches for the details as a nearly perfect job of reporting and a story told most skillfully.I am stumped by the negative review posted here but see that this reviewer has written negatively about everything else that he or she reviews. It is a disservice to this book and sounds like he or she might be in cahoots with the author of the othertitle on the subject. If you want a gripping account of this major hurricane told through the lives of the people who experienced it, this is your book.

So interesting!
I had to keep reading to finish it quickly and see what happened!I savored it, too, though.Very well written.

The 9-21 Disaster
On Wednesday September 21, 1938 the Great Hurricane hit eastern Long Island, Providence, and the New England states. Fishing fleets were destroyed along with houses and 700 people. The tide was high under a full moon. Fifty-foot waves hit the shore so hard that it registered on a seismograph in Alaska. Cherie Burns reconstructed this even from newspaper reports, survivor testimony, and archival sources. Is such a disaster possible again? Yes, but weather forecasting should give a warning (p.6). A mature hurricane is the most powerful event on earth. But GH38 seems to have been censored from memories (p.3). It was the strongest and most destructive storm to ever hit New England. The 15 chapters tell the story of the people who experienced this natural disaster. There is an Index but no Table of Contents. "GH38's loss of lives and property damage total exceeded San Francisco's earthquake and fire of 1906 and Chicago's fire of 1871" (p.212).

The Great Depression affected people's lives with wide-spread unemployment. New England textile mills suffered from competition in the South. Chapter 2 describes the times. [I think that "Yankee trait" (p.19) of restraint and lack of ostentation goes back a few centuries to the Puritans.] Watching storms was a pleasurable pastime (p.21). Accurate predictions can reduce the loss of life (Chapter 3). Chapter 4 and 5 tell of people's lives at that time. The Great Gale of 1815 destroyed every tree on Napatree Point (p.46). Some heeded the signs of bad weather (pp.48-49). A red sky in the morning is a warning. There had been only two major hurricanes during 300 years (p.54). High winds announced the arrival of the storm (p.57). GH38 struck eastern Long Island at 3PM then swiftly moved to hit the mainland. The rainfall measured 10 to 17 inches over the next several hours (Chapter 8). This super tropical storm quickly intensified (p.75). The storm surge of sea water killed most people (p.76).

Chapter 9 tells of people's activities during the high water and winds. So does Chapters 10 through 12. Chapter 13 describes the flood and destruction that hit Providence. Downed power and telephone lines isolated people. Flood waters spread everywhere, like a menace in a horror-film (p.163). Fallen trees blocked roads and sidewalks, flying debris caused injuries. The fire in New London Connecticut was visible in Providence (p.173). The fast-moving hurricane departed as quickly as it arrived (Chapter 14). The newspapers reported the death and destruction (pp.179-180). Chapter 15 has more stories from the survivors. Some bodies were found weeks later, some were never found (p.191). Many died from exposure (p.197). Hundreds of millions of trees were uprooted (pp.201-202). 9,000 homes and buildings were totally destroyed, 15,000 were damaged (p.205). Fishing communities were nearly wiped out (p.206). The Weather Bureau was criticized for its failure to report the hurricane (p.207). GH38 wasn't big news for most of the country (p.208). The Weather Bureau improved its forecasts (p.212). Homeowner's insurance was rare (p.213), many lost homes were never replaced. [Could the forgetfulness of this disaster be explained by a need to keep tourists coming?]

Beach reading
I took this book on vacation in Maine to read it at the beach.I know there were a lot of errors (typos too), but I enjoyed it anyway.It was light reading while relaxing in the sun by the water and being thankful I wasn't in my hometown, Warwick, Rhode Island, back then.The American Experience DVD on the 38 Hurricane is an excellent follow-up.

An unheralded disaster
What lessons do we learn from ferocious weather? This planet is our home and our playground and it's easy to forget that we're at the mercy of the elements -- until Mother Nature throws us a hard ball like the Great Hurricane of 1938. Thundering into Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island, this great storm devastated homes, farms and commercial areas. Hundreds of thousands of trees were blown down, transportation and essential services were disrupted, and seven hundred people lost their lives.

Author Cherie Adams sets the scene: 1938 is poised between the Great Depression and the start of World War II. The front-page stories are focusing on the annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland region by the Third Reich. Weather prediction is slow and unreliable, so nobody worries that the inside pages of the newspaper are predicting high winds and heavy rain.

The eastern coastal regions are enjoying the last weeks of nice weather along the shore. In comes the hurricane, with an exceptional forward speed of 60 miles per hour. Whatever difference warning might have made, there is no warning and the winds, rain and solstice-swelled storm surge wreck everything in their path.

Adams' weather scenes are vivid and her statistics at the end are quite awesome. Her sources are letters, newspaper stories and other written reports, as well as whatever eyewitness accounts are available so long after the event. She presents the human side of the disaster in strobe-like jumps from one "character" to another, never developing any of them fully so that they blur into a confusion. Some stand out--the wedding party, the schoolboy in a new suit, the cameo appearance of actress Katharine Hepburn--but most are like too many snapshots of strangers in someone's old album.

I'm not sure what I wanted from this book. A better understanding of life in 1938? Meteorological context? Most of all, probably, insight into the strength of character that helps individuals survive a cataclysmic loss. I came away feeling that I would have done better to re-read Sebastian Junger's "The Perfect Storm," or even--reaching back to 1977--"Condominium" by John D. McDonald. Or the best idea of all, one might find the original stories, articles, memoirs, and read them in the writers' own words.

I listened to an unabridged audio presentation of this book so did not have the benefit of any maps or photos, of which I understand from other reviewers there were too few. The book shows intensive research and the writing is effective, though the organization is not what I would have preferred. Three stars.

Linda Bulger, 2008 ... Read more

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When the Water Came gathers the intimate recollections of 11 Louisiana and Mississippi residents and the unforgettable details of their lives during and after Hurricane Katrina. Poet Cynthia Hogue and photographer Rebecca Ross convey the experience of a cross section of evacuees, their journeys from the Gulf Coast to the Arizona desert, and their efforts to make new lives. ... Read more

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In late May 1944, troops of General Douglas MacArthur's Hurricane Task Force invaded the island of Biak, off the northwest coast of New Guinea.Over the following weeks, they waged a desperate fight against a fanatical enemy bent on annihilation.This is the story of that battle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

MacArthur's rash judgement, poor intelligence cost US casualties
MacArthur was in a hurry to get back to the Philippines to fulfill a promise and he needed Biak's airfields to give air cover for the Philippine invasion but he underestimated the strength of the Japanese garrison, rejecting Ultra estimates, and the enemy's determination to defend the island. His plans for the invasion were poor, relying on luck that his forces will hit the beaches without much resistance. After the tough time the Allies had in New Guinea and especially in the Buna sector, it was just carelessness to go in unprepared. The situation became worse with MacArthur's denial of the slow progress of the battle, delaying the sending in of reinforcements. The campaign to secure the islandtook over two months and played havoc with MacArthur's schedule for Peleliu and the Philippines
Even by 1944, the Japanese still believed that a well orchestrated plan like A-Go could defeat the Allies and they needed to hold Biak long enough to get their forces ready for Plan A-Go in the Philippines. The Biak garrison held the island until mid August and gave Japan the time to prepare their all or nothing offensive. The author also mentions the conflict for the Marianas and the Battle for the Philippine Sea to help the reader understand other developments that were occurring while Biak was contested.
The author first provides a quick summary of the Allied progress up to early 1944 before leading into a general purpose account of the battle that gives the reader a basic understanding of the events on the island, offshore and in the air as well as the thinking that was generated from the perspective HQs. The author also supplies first hand accounts (especially of Lt General Eichelberger) of soldiers from both sides of their experiences while fighting.
I gave the book four stars for two basic reasons. First, the tactical coverage is too general and incomplete. Secondly, there are no photos and the few maps provided are poor and of little use. There are extensive Notes and a helpful Bibliography and Index. This small but important battle for this small island northwest of New Guinea was for MacArthura stepping stone between New Guinea and the Philippines and any serious student of WWII should be aware of it and this credible story delivers the basics.

Little Known Battle of Great Importance
Biak could have been a disaster and featured fierce fighting and great bravery and initiative among US forces.Intelligence underestimated (surprise!) the strength of the Japanese garrison and their tenacity (many were veterans of the tough China campaigns)as well as Japanese naval forces operating in or near Biak.MzcArthur was determined to take Biak as another stepping stone to an eventual Japanese invasion, and did, but things could have turned out badly for the General and the American forces.Author Bernstein did an excellent job on the research as you would expect a professional researcher to do.He has a direct and "reporting" writing style which may be an issue for the casual reader.But for anyone truly interested in WWII, especially the Pacific Theater, this is an excellent read.Highly recommended.
Steven Bustin, Author: Humble Heroes, How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWIIHumble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII

For military history students and World War II buffs
Biak Island, off the northwest coast of New Guinea, was the site of one of the bloodiest battles fought by American troops against the Japanese in World War II. In the spring of 1944, the Japanese Imperial Navy held Biak as their most important island in the Pacific. MacArthur needed its airfields in order to continue his advance towards the Phillippines. The Japanese had 12,00 defenders on Biak, dug in and ready to fight to the last man. Casualties were heavy on both sides. Highly recommended for military history students and World War II buffs, Marc Bernstine's Hurricane At Biak: Macarthur Against The Japanese, May - August 1944 is a vivid, comprehensive reconstruction of that horrific campaign and an invaluable contribution to World War II studies. ... Read more

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Step into the eye of the storm. Follow the action, from the first news reports of a hurricane called Katrina gathering out at sea, to eyewitness accounts of those who survive the epic devastation she finally wreaks along the Gulf Coast.

Then look back at the history of these catastrophic storms and examine the science of hurricanes. How do they form? Why do they rage through the same regions? Which were the deadliest hurricanes in history? And how can scientists predict their landfall? All the answers are here, in an exciting narrative brought to life with stunning National Geographic photography of storm-ravaged landscapes and cities. The book's informative back matter contains all the facts that report-writers need, and includes a complete list of sources to find out more about this fearsome phenomenon. This season, Hurricanes will score a direct hit with children everywhere. ... Read more

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Profiles the life of Brian Taggart, a pilot for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose job involves flying directly into dangerous storms. ... Read more

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In Hurricane!, the third title in the Disaster series, kids explore how hurricanes form. They'll discover the ways hurricane hunters improve forecasting and help save lives. And they'll read about some of the most powerful hurricanes of the last century! The book features amazing photos of the destructive power of hurricanes, creative hands-on activities that investigate the surprising strength of air pressure, and fascinating true-life stories that are sure to blow kids away! ... Read more

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The sleeper history hit of 2008, released in paperback to coincide with the heart of hurricane season

Customer Reviews (14)

HURRICANE OF INDEPENDENCE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DEADLY STORM AT THE DECIDING MOMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
HURRICANE OF INDEPENDENCE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DEADLY STORM AT THE DECIDING MOMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
TONY WILLIAMS
SOURCEBOOKS, 2009
HARDCOVER, $22.95, 304 PAGES, BIBLIOGRAPHY


With the winds of revolution blowing about in the fledgling thirteen colonies, Mother Nature had a mind that temporarily put a halt to those rebellious thoughts. On August 29, 1775, a hurricane, sometimes called the Independence Hurricane hit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It turned northeastward and left the state on 2 September 1775, bringing heavy wind and rain to southeastern Virginia. A letter from New Bern, North Carolina recounted, "We had a violent hurricane...which hasdone a vast deal of damage here, the Bar, and at Matamuskeet, near 150 lives being lost at the Bar, and 15 in one neighborhood at Matamuskeet." The September 9, 1775 edition of The Virginia Gazette reported: "The shocking accounts of damage done by the rains last week are numerous: Most of the mill-dams are broke, the corn laid almost level with the ground, and fodder destroyed; many ships and other vessels drove ashore and damaged, at Norfolk, Hampton, and York. In the heavy storm of wind and rain, which came on last Saturday, and continued most part of the night, the Mercury man of war as drove from her station abreast of the town of Norfolk, and stuck flat aground in shoal water." At least 163 people were killed and triggered one of the early Revolutionary War skirmishes in Virginia and it came close to impacting Georgia and South Carolina on Septemberr 2, 1775 before moving ashore over North Carolina. The storm then picked up steam through Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. One of the most notable casualties of the storm was the roof of the Maryland State House, which was replaced by a wind resistan dome. On September 9, 1775, a storm struck the seastern coast of Newfoundland. It is uncertain if this storm was the remnants of the hurricane that had crossed the Outer Banks over a week earlier; if so, it was probably extratropical by this time. Newfoundland's fisheries "received a very severe stroke from the violence of a storm of wind, which almost swept everything before it," the colonial governor Richard Duff wrote shortly after it struck." A considerable number of boats, with their crews, have been totally lost, several vessels wrecked on the shores," he said. Ocean levels rose to heights "scarcely ever known before" and caused great devastation, Duff reported. A total of 4,000 sailors, mostly from England and Ireland, were reported to have been drowned, a localized storm surge is reported to have reached heights of between 20 and 30 feet. Losses from the hurricane include many fishing boats and two armed schooners of the British Royal Navy, who were on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to enforce Britain's fishing rights. This Atlantic hurricane was Canada's first recorded hurricane and Canada's most tragic natural disaster (and by far the deadliest hurricane to ever hit Canada), as well as the eighth deadliest hurricane in history. HURRICANE OF INDEPENDENCE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DEADLY STORM AT THE DECIDING MOMENT OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is a remarkable contribution to the continuing literature of the American Revolution. Highly recommended reading.


Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida

an excellent reading experience
I enjoyed reading this book immensely. Detail filled, yet not bogged down with minutae. I would highly recommend this for anyone who delights in learning details of our country's history that don't always show up in history books.

"Anything but 'Calm' After this Storm"
Hurricane of Independence, the Untold Story

Imagine a hurricane the size of Katrina, Carla, or Cecilia multiplied by two! Author Tony Williams' new book tells of the fierce hurricane of September 2, 1775.Almost a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed a fierce storm blew in devastating the New England coast. During this time a hurricane was not only considered a natural disaster, but it was felt to be a punishment from a wrathful God.

This book contains a cast of characters that are well known and many that are lesser known. Still, they all help set the stage for what led the American colonists to act in a precise and decisive manner to join together against the British rule. Frustration was added by the addition of new taxes being levied on tea and the outrage of a struggling American economy trying to regroup over the loss of many lives, and the solid settlements that were the backbone of New England. Most prominent citizens had the wealth that they had spent years building lost in a day's time.A possible slave revolt egged on by the British authorities took arms and gunpowder away from secure colonial sites and gave them to slaves who were for the first time given some authority.

All these many things came together and act as a catalyst to make the American colonists move to work together, to gather and secure arms, and to render aid to many that had lost so much. So this added influence from new British taxation put the American colonists into a mode to move beyond their differences.They became unified to act in a desperate way. This is why you see the added importance of the "Boston Tea Party" and other forms of rebellion among the Americans.

Tony Williams taught history a good many years. It shows in his concern for telling the details in a careful and considerate manner. Some chapters I read several times as they are most enjoyable. As I have written a few books on history, I can appreciate how careful you must be to present the details better to be well considered in the proper manner. These are things that we did not learn in school. We should have, but somehow these important details were omitted! This took away from our learning about the "actual" history. Read Hurricane of Independence by Tony Williams. You will learn what you should have learned in school.This book is interesting and informative. Each page shows the detail of American history in a new light: the calm after the terrible storm.

Thank you, Joe Blevins, author of After the Republic, and a few others.

How can a history book have no maps?
Someone else has commented that this reads as if it were written for a high school audience, and I think that is probably accurate.Once I got used to it, it was okay, although I would have appreciated a less episodic narrative style.Each chapter, for example, was self-contained, and I never felt as though I couldn't wait to get to the next one.I sadly didn't enjoy reading the narrative, but it was clear and essentially okay.

Okay, that is, until the discussion of the disaster that was a discussion about the Newfoundland hurricane.There I understand there is little information to go from about this hurricane, but the continual use of imagination as information is really frustrating.The conditional verbiage -- "might have happened" or "may have felt" -- is incredibly frustrating.What the author should have done is rely less on his imagination and more on accounts of other disasters in Newfoundland and on the Grand Banks (he mentions in passing the tsunami of 1929, but there are other hurricane accounts in the 230 years since the 1775 hurricane).So when he says these people might have died in this way, he should tell us that someone DID die in this way, and thus give us something concrete to rely on.What he has here is essentially a fictionalized account based on real events, rather than a history book where he takes scant data and provides a useful reconstruction.I am left with little guiding as to what information might be there.I know this is a tough requirement for a book, but I just bought this instead of some other hurricane book, and I feel I got very very little from it.His account on the east coast of the US is "inspired by" the hurricane, but is really not much about the hurricane but more about other events of the year, and his account of the Newfoundland disaster is largely possibilities rather than research.I think this could have been a superb book (I think there is a superb book in this), but I don't want to recommend this book to anyone who has read the far superior The Perfect Storm (which was written with comparisons from other people's accounts, even though he had a lack of evidence as to what happened to the Andrea Gail itself) or Maura Hanrahan's Tsunami: The Newfoundland Tidal Wave Disaster.

My one complaint that could have been easily dealt with in this book is there are no maps.This is essential, as a reconstruction of the hurricane path would be really helpful.Those of us not familiar with east coast colonial geography should not have to go to Wikipedia to find out where "New Bern" is, as it is not the modern capitol of North Carolina, and thus not a location I ever memorized.And the author insists (it is an arguable point) that there were two hurricanes, the one that hit the Atlantic states and the one that hit Newfoundland.I would have appreciated maps indicating the routes of the two hurricanes, the points at which they were noted, etc.Giving the reader latitude and longitude (as he does on at least one occasion) really isn't helpful without a map to attach the points to.Or maybe it is just my problem, and everyone else has a good sense of their latitude and longitude to tell them exactly where they are on the globe.I have seen hurricane books (and I have read a lot of them) with poor maps, but never one without any maps.I hope when he writes another book he thinks to include maps with it.

I have a long shelf with hurricane accounts on it.This is not worth rereading, and I am taking it to the library as a donation tomorrow.I hope someone else will get more out of it than I did.

Easy read, enjoyable diversion into American history
I found this book enjoyable, because it was a refreshing break from heavier historic reading. It is a quick read for advanced readers, but still well enough written with a good amount of history and a good reflection of the people of the Revolutionary era to be worthwhile. I enjoyed it, though it is probably written more towards younger readers, teen-age level.A nice over view of the colonial areas and the people at the the beginning of the Revolution more than the hurricane itself. Though it is non-fiction, it paces more like a novel, making it informative and pleasant. ... Read more

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There's always a point in the season when you're faced with a challenge and you see what you're capable of. And you grow up."

-- J.T. Curtis, head coach, John Curtis Christian School Patriots

On Saturday, August 27, 2005, the John Curtis Patriots met for a grueling practice in the late summer New Orleans sun, the air a visible fog of humidity. They had pulled off a 19-0 shutout in their pre-season game the night before, but it was a game full of dumb mistakes. Head coach J.T. Curtis was determined to drill those mistakes out of them before their highly anticipated next game, which sportswriters had dubbed "the Battle of the Bayou" against a big team coming in all the way from Utah. As fate played out, that afternoon was the last time the Patriots would see one another for weeks; some teammates they'd never see again. Hurricane Katrina was about to tear their lives apart.

The Patriots are a most unlikely football dynasty. There is a small, nondescript, family-run school, the buildings constructed by hand by the school's founding patriarch, John Curtis Sr. In this era of high school football as big business with 20,000 seat stadiums, John Curtis has no stadium of its own. The team plays an old-school offense, and Coach Curtis insists on a no-cut policy, giving every kid who wants to play a chance. As of 2005, they'd won nineteen state championships in Curtis's thirty-five years of coaching, making him the second most winning high school coach ever. Curtis has honed to a fine art the skill of teaching players how to transcend their natural talents. No screamer, he strives to teach kids about playing with purpose, the power of respect, dignity, poise, patience, trust in teamwork, and the payoff of perseverance, showing them how to be winners not only on the gridiron, but in life, and making boys into men. Hurricane Katrina would put those lessons to the test of a lifetime.

Hurricane Season is the story of a great coach, his team, his family, and their school -- and a remarkable fight back from shocking tragedy. It is a story of football and faith, and of the transformative power of a team that rises above adversity, and above its own abilities, to come together again and prove what they're made of. It is the gripping story of how, as one player put it, "football became my place of peace. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Remarkable!
The Patriots are a football team that plays for a Christian school John Curtis.Members of the founder's family, his five children and grandchildren make up part of the faculty members at the school.They aren't just a school; they are more like a family.They have taken football members into their homes for extended periods of time.

The Patriots have a great team due largely to their head coach J.T. Curtis, son of John Curtis. "Hurricane Season," the story, takes place in August 2005.The Patriots are preparing to play their first pre-season game, which they do, and it's a shut out in their favor.Unfortunately, hurricane Katrina is coming through the state.Katrina will drastically change John Curtis School and students' lives dramatically. Readers glimpse the struggles shared by each family during and after the storm.

J.T. is determined to get his football team back together for some normalcy.While many of the players have been relocated, J.T. realizes that getting the guys back on the field will be a big help to them mentally.

Neal Thompson has written a very good book that should be read by everyone.A true story, while reading you feel as if you're actually there in New Orleans and very much apart of the school, their family and face all of their triumphs.After finishing "Hurricane Season" I went to the website just to get information on the school and the players.

Reviewed by: Carmen
Also agree with the one reviewer who says that if you enjoy Friday Night Lights.

Amazing Comback!
"Hurricane Season" is a true story about triumph through hardship for a private Christian school's football team in New Orleans overcoming the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. This book takes a personal look at the devastation that Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita caused within six weeks. It's about a High School football coach's and his players' commitment to their school and team in midst of chaos and turmoil. It's about how football can pull a community together. I particularly liked reading how the coach motivated his players and how he taught them to be men. It was heartwarming to see how much the coach loved his players and cared about their personal lives and not just how they played football.

Another aspect that really touched me was J.T.'s close relationship and admiration for his father.His father built the school and was a big part of the football team.After the father died, J.T. still thinks of him often and wishes he could still run things past him.He feels a real sense of responsibility to make his dad proud and run the school well.

The ending of the book is very moving and emotional when the team finally gets to play football after it looked like they wouldn't even have a season. As I read about the games, it felt like I was right there in the stands watching and cheering for them. This book started out slow and was pretty sad, but is definitely worth reading to get an inside look at what the people of New Orleans went through during Katrina and how a football team really jelled.It certainly made my few problems look totally insignificant in comparison.

Karen Zemek, author of My Funny Dad, Harry

A People Book
I can't say enough good things about this book!!This book is remarkable!! It tells the story about how people dealt with Hurrican Katrina and the aftermath and a remarkable man, J. T. Curtis, Head football coach and principal of the John Curtis Christian School.How he and his family brought together a school and the football team is an unbelievable story.Their story will make you cry, laugh and cheer!!I really enjoyed this book A LOT!!!

Gerard Zemek
Husband of author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

Through the storm comes grace
This was a gift for my husband.He loves it!It is about more than just football.It has heart.

THE EMOTIONAL SIDE OF THE STORY
Hurricane season is an excellent complement to Douglas Brinkley's " The Great Deluge." While Brinkley provides an excellent analytical and scholarly account of Hurricane Katrina that should set the standard for many years; Hurricane Season captures the powerful emotional dimensions. Though grounded in the story of a high school football team, it transcends normal sportswriting by speaking to the bigger panorama of life, suffering, loss, and inspiring tales of recovery and fortitude.
With so many aspirations and dreams hanging in the balance, the J.T. Curtis School and football team regroup after enduring catastrophe and devastation and become a beacon of hope and solace for many of the victims.
Replete with an abundance of anecdotes and personal accounts, Thompson weaves their stories into a gripping narrative that will find appeal among readers of all genres. This is a stirring and fast paced treatment of those perilous days that is both wrenching and redeeming. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (17)

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It's a book. I got it for a class. I'm not into these books but it seems interesting so far. i came in perfect condition....yeah

Thoughts from a college student
Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle over Global Warming,written by Chris Mooney, is an aggregation of varying perspectives on the connection or lack thereof between global warming and intensifying hurricanes around the world and the fine detail and intricacy of how it's all tied into policy and politicians.Chris Mooney takes the reader on a time travel of hurricane research from 1743 when Benjamin Franklin collectively defined what a storm consists of all the way to current day which is defined by high technology hurricane research (p.15).Along this technology journey scientists have not only discovered amplitude information about hurricanes but also how hurricanes are connected to other meteorological phenomena.Mooney tells of various scientists who have conducted research in attempts to both prove and disprove how global warming is or is not causing an increase in intensity and frequency of hurricanes.
An interesting aspect that Mooney includes in his book is the interconnectedness of the hurricane battle with policy.Research by scientists is funded when the government sees a need for that research to be done.The government sees a need for research when the people are demanding it and citizens demand it when a topic is receiving a lot of media attention.Therefore, the government, and accordint to Mooney particularly the Busch administration, was carefully controlling which aspects of the hurricane-global warming research were released into the media.Also, Mooney gives the example of Landsea who left the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) because they were so controlling of what its scientists could say to the media (p. 134-135).Additionally, where a research institution receives its funds plays a large role in the general reputation it wants to hold on a topic such as global warming.Mooney says the IPCC was funded for a while by the very large oil company, ExxonMobil, and therefore would want to release more anti-hurricane-global warming research.It sends the message that everyone should be very cautious of present biases in the information received because of the number of ways it may be steered to fit the needs of those producing it.
Chris Mooney did a great job providing a variety of perspectives concerning the hurricane-global warming debate, a strategy which strengthens the merit of his book.He made sure to include scientists/researchers, politicians from both ends of the spectrum, the media, and research institutions.He was sure to give research examples from those who support the link between global warming and stronger hurricanes, from those who do not, and those who don't fall strongly either way.Consistently throughout the book he speaks of scientists like Gray who are against a global warming-hurricane link and those like Emanuel, Holland and Knutson who believe in a global warming-hurricane link.At the very end of the book, Mooney lets his opinion shine through his writing by giving examples of stronger research that shows a true link between global warming and hurricanes.
One of my favorite parts of the book is the specific examples and stories of hurricanes that have happened.When a city, people, and personal stories are attached to a hurricane, it becomes more real instead of just wind speeds and pressure measurements.This aspect of the books makes it more relatable to a wide audience.Despite one's political background or one's worldview of the connection between global warming and hurricanes, everyone cares about other people and the devastation they face from a natural disaster like hurricanes.No matter what is causing it, hurricanes cause millions of dollars in damage and affects thousands of lives every year.Mooney definitely sends this underlying message in his book; there is a great need for hurricane research for the better we understand and can predict them, the more prepared we can be for the damage they are capable of producing on land.

Hurricanes and Politics Should Not Mix
Chris Mooney presents a fascinating inside look into the politics and personalities behind hurricane science and scientists.With the possibility that global warming can increase the destructive power of hurricanes, a formerly non-controversial topic became highly politicized in a short amount of time.Predictably, scientists were in two basic camps: one believed global warming makes hurricanes worse, and one believed that global warming (which may not be occurring) does not make hurricanes worse.

Although Mooney keeps the pace moving along, by the time you finish this book, you may know more about hurricanes than you bargained for.At times, the book is almost too detailed for its own good, but if you know at least a little basic meteorology, you should be able to handle all the atmospheric science thrown into the book.Good book on a fascinating subject.

Good, But Not Outstanding
This is a good book, but not quite as good as the other reviewers suggest.I suspect that how much you like this book depends, in part, on how much you agree with the author's views.Put simply, although the book purports to be an objective overview of the interaction between science and politics, Mr. Mooney makes it clear which side he thinks is right.Those skeptical of global warming tend to be marginalized as out of touch, cranks, or biased by "special interests."This detracts from the book in a significant way because it casts doubt on the accuracy of the analysis.Indeed, in several places, the author seems to go out of his way to downplay data that undercuts the "global warming is making hurricanes worse" thesis that he endorses.

Having said that, the book is still very readable and full of information about hurricanes and the history of their study.Whenever the author is not talking about global climate change, his account of the science and the scientists is engaging and clear.

In sum, worth reading if you have any interest in hurricanes, but take his discussions of the state of global warming science with a large grain of salt.

Science and Journalism

This is an exceptionally well done example of scientific journalism.
It presents abalanced review of both sides of the global warming ->
hurricanes issue while recognizing that the consensus of scientific opinion is that global warming is a real phenomenon. ... Read more

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The Sunshine State has an exceptionally stormy past. Vulnerable to storms that arise in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico, Florida has been hit by far more hurricanes than any other state. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

FINEST WORK OF ITS KIND
If you are interested in the hurricane history of any special state or region, this is probably the finest work of its kind written to date.Following a superb introduction to our subject, the author describes every significant or noteworthy storm to hit Florida since the 1700's.Each entry includes a map showing the storm's track through the state.We learn of the unique impact each had on the sunshine state.Some hurricanes, of course, like Agnes, had major impacts outside of Florida, and Barnes writes of these as well.Looking through these pages also shows us the cyclical nature of storms.In some years disaster hit several times, while other periods (like the 70's), saw little activity of any kind.

I found this edition to be much better than the author's NC one, if for no other reason than Florida's more active history!While some hurricanes listed in the other book may be of interest mostly to locals, the ones here, like the Labor Day and Miami storm, are truly important historically.I would hope Barnes is writing on the hurricane history of other states as well.

A Fascinating Read
My earliest memory was Hurricane Donna, and I have been intrigued by hurricanes ever since. This book offers a considerable amount of historical data along with fascinating accounts. Highly recommended to anybody who would like to learn more about the history of hurricanes in Florida.

Excellent Resource On Florida Hurricanes
What a great book. We've enjoyed the stories of the memorable storms like Donna, Andrew, and Opal and the effect theyve had on generations of Florida residents. The 1926 Miami and 1928 Okeechobee are well covered. Also very interesting reading on those storms we've never heard of. The photographs are stunning-and frightening. Its organized well, and the reading is not too technical. It stays on our coffee table.

Finally, a comprehensive collection of Florida storms.
Great photos, and all the detail you could ever want on Florida hurricanes. The survival stories are frightening! All the weather data is there. It's a great resource for us hurricane junkies! ... Read more

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THE FINAL BLOW

They were the forgotten members of the Lost Generation, traumatized veterans of the Great War who grasped for one last chance at redemption under Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Six hundred of them were shuffled off to the Florida Keys to build a highway to Key West. On Labor Day weekend 1935, the most intense hurricane ever to strike the U.S. took aim on their flimsy shacks, and the two men responsible for evacuating the veterans from harm’s way waited too long.

After the storm, Ernest Hemingway took his boat from his home in Key West to aid the veterans in the Upper Keys but he found few survivors on the wreckage. His public cries of outrage bound him forever to the storm.quotes

“Brilliantly and compellingly captures the events surrounding the 1935 storm, showing how human factors compounded the awful force of sky and sea.”—from the Foreword by John Rennie, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

“Hemingway’s Hurricane describes a scenario tragically similar to the one surrounding Hurricane Katrina . . . little preparedness and no timely rescue for victims.”—The Sacramento Bee

“Phil Scott does a favor with this book, reminding [us] that deadly storms aren’t a new event.”—Chicago Tribune

“A timely topic and a compelling read.”—The Indianapolis Star ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

"Colonel Sheeran," Cutler said, "if you were in temporary charge down here, would you order that train?"
After finishing "Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938," I started this book on a hurricane that occurred three years earlier. Whereas "Sudden Sea" went all over the place with the fates of different families and towns, Phil Scott's study was more focused and offered build-up and suspense. The research was very thorough and included depositions of many survivors. He also does not take a completely impartial stance in this book. Villains are painted before the hurricane struck (know-it-all FERA camp chief Ray Sheldon, FERA director Fred Ghent, etc.) and after (the National Guard who were sometimes abusive in their power and would not allow vets into the devastated area to identify bodies that were to be cremated). Sympathetic figures are found, too, like the concerned Sam Cutler who was put in charge with little authority when Sheldon decided it was a good time to go on a honeymoon vacation when there was the chance of a hurricane affecting his camp in the forecast and, of course, the survivors trying to help each other and, later, people like Representative Edith Nourse Rogers who tried to get justice for the veterans in a 1936 House committee.

The study begins with World War I vets marching on Washington in the midst of the Depression to demand the early payment of a promised bonus for their service. In 1934, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) gave FDR a way for the veterans to keep their dignity through work and earn money for their families while building a highway and bridge to Florida's economically-floundering Key West. The area was no stranger to hurricanes. Major storms hit during the construction of the Overseas Railroad to Key West that was finished in 1912. As the massive hurricane threatened the FERA camps on the Matecumbe Keys during the Labor Day weekend of 1935, the veterans assumed the government had a plan to get them out in time.

The most suspenseful part of the book was the slow decision to order a relief train to remove the veterans from the camps. Sheldon did not believe the storm would hit the area and did not listen to the advice of locals who understood the unpredictability of hurricanes. A miscommunication regarding the readiness of the relief train also caused a delay. Ordered too late, veterans could not get out in time and were forced to fight for their lives against the second Category 5 hurricane to hit the United States and the most intense on record until the hurricane season of 2005. What survivors and relief workers saw after the storm is described in sometimes graphic detail.

As other reviewers have noted, there is not a lot about Ernest Hemingway as would be expected from the title. He knew some of the victims of the storm because he often swapped stories with fellow veterans at Sloppy Joe's saloon in Key West where he lived at the time. He observed the aftermath of the storm while navigating the area on his boat Pilar. He was so angry at how the vets were treated, he wrote the essay "Who Murdered the Vets" along with the novel To Have and Have Not which contrasted the experience of the veteran laborers at the FERA camps with that of the passengers on the luxury liner Dixie that was grounded during the storm. Scott states that the essay, published in the American Communist Party paper New Masses, played a significant role in Hemingway's demise decades later as the government watched him as a possible Communist spy leading to Hemingway's paranoia and eventual suicide. Was his role large enough to name the book "Hemingway's Hurricane"? That could be debated but it is a clever title and a well-written account of a tremendous storm. It includes a section of photographs (three of corpses).

Most intense storm in US history...............
The hurricane that hit the Florida Keys in 1935 is still listed as the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the US.It is estimated to have had 200 mph winds and although it's eye was not large, the power of this storm surpassed anything imagined.
The victims numbered 423 known dead, 259 of them were veterans of World War I.These men had been "employed" to build a highway connecting the Keys all the way through to Key West. It was a "make work" program seemingly designed to remove the veterans from the spotlight in Washington D.C., like a splinter in the FDR political eye.The veterans had been marching on Washington and camping there demanding pay bonuses that had been promised to them.Many were in desperate situations with the Depression in full form. Sending them far away to the Keys to work and make money must have seemed like the answer to everyone's desires. Tragedy was to unfold.
In September of 1935, as the veterans labored on, the Weather Bureau was tracking atropical storm that would become the most intense hurricane inUS history. Due to a lack ofcoverage in many areas, the path of the storm had to be projected, leaving room for error. Even so, warnings were put out to the Keys and while locals begin to make preparations, the veterans had no prior experience with hurricanes. They depended on their camp director and other in chargeto make theevacuation decisions, which was to include sending a train to remove them from the path of danger.Decisions were either made to late or not made at all and the train would not arrive in time.The train itself,wouldbe washed off the tracks and nearly washed out to sea. 259 veterans would loose their lives.
While there are amazing parallels between this storm of 1935 and Katrina, there are also striking differences.The forecasters urgently warned about Katrina,a more direct and well broadcast warning than in 1935.In both storms people waited to be evacuated by others for a variety of reasons.While the reasons are varied, the reality is that government is not all powerful nor is it capable of dealing with huge scale evacuations.When individuals give up theirpersonal responsibility, the results will be haphazard and even deadly as is proven true in both these hurricanes. When those directly in charge fail to take reasonable steps to protect the very lives they are charged with protecting, the result will be disastrous.In this case the camp director in 1935 and the Mayor of New Orleans seem to have a lot in common.
This is a vivid account of the 1935 hurricane.The stories of the victims andsurvivors as their island is virtually swept clean, inundated by the storm surge is intense andelectrifying.These are stories that have a depth of emotion that was not expected from men who had become inured to hardship and death in WWI. The attempted downplaying of the disaster for political reasons is stunning.While the role of Ernest Hemingway seems nearly minute, he did draw attention to the plight of the veterans.
Phil Scott has written a clear and vivid account of a disaster in the making and the lives that were battered and destroyed.The politics and the human faces of the intrepid veterans combine to form a story well worth the reading.

Uses eyewitness accounts to detail these days of calamity and reconstruct the events in each camp as the hurricane made landfall
The great Florida hurricane of 1935 came as no surprise - in Key West Ernest Hemingway had enough warning to secure his boat and house against the storm - yet superintendents in three nearby government work camps did almost nothing to evacuate the men in their charge. Phil Scott details these days of calamity when the Keys were hit by one of the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S: Hemingway's Hurricane: The Great Florida Keys Storm Of 1935 uses eyewitness accounts to detail these days of calamity and reconstruct the events in each camp as the hurricane made landfall. The probe of the underlying problems involved in evacuation procedures holds plenty of drama and meaning for today's residents.

History, Politics & Victims=A Great Read!
I found this book to be a wonderful blend; part history lesson, part Political overview and to a large part, tragedy.

Phil Scott concisely provides the necessary background for a complex period in American history, and deftly sets the stage for the main event.

The "Back story" he tells of the forming of the Veterans Bonus Army, the March on Washington DC, and their dispatched to the Florida Keys as much to get them out of the way as to build a Highway across the Keys, is a story in itself. Once we understand the circumstances of their situation, it almost seems inevitable that they will be abandoned in their time of need.

The author does a marvelous job of introducing us to a variety of characters, from many of the imperiled vets, to the seemingly clueless men responsible for their safety, and the locals, like Ernest Hemingway who were forever changed by this tragedy.

While there certainly are parallels with the mistakes made during Hurricane Katrina, I believe this story is compelling, and stands well on its own merit. And while the Gulf Coast in 2005 had advanced knowledge of the terribly destructive force bearing down on it, the hundreds of veterans in their "temporary" housing on the Keys had very little warning of the Category 5 hurricane that would send hundreds of them to their deaths.

I heartily recommend this book to readers with an interest in the History of this period, Hurricane's as a force in nature, or anyone simply looking for a gripping,highly readable and true story of how quickly things can go wrong.

Good story, ironic twist
Phil Scott's book, "Hemingway's Hurricane" is a quick and good read about the century's most powerful hurricane....the category 5 storm that smashed into the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend in 1935. Finished before Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Scott's book takes on a narrative with some unintended consequences and supreme ironies.

Set as a timeline, the author briefs the reader well with his background of the Bonus Army of World War I veterans, their 1932 march on Washington D.C. and the veterans' subsequent detour to the Florida Keys, courtesy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, to give them low-paying jobs. "Hemingway's Hurricane" centers around these hundreds of veterans, their work in the Keys (much of it building roads) and the misfortune they had at being directly in the path of the hurricane. Scott relates all of this in a nicely paced way. Yet two things stand out in his book....there's very little to do with Ernest Hemingway....he makes not much more than a minor appearance at the beginning and at the end, so the title of the book is confusing. The author also provides too many cameo appearances by others who were part of the storm and the recovery. Fewer characters with more time spent with them would have increased my enjoyment of Scott's work.

Yet it is the comparison to Katrina, not mentioned in "Hemingway's Hurricane" that makes for the unintended attraction. The 1935 storm had its own version of FEMA (FERA) and a major player, Fred Ghent, the director of the veteran's camps, who was the Michael Brown of his day. His decision not to get a relief train down in time to evacuate the veterans was one of the worst miscalculations of the storm. It's almost as if we can hear FDR saying, "Ghentie, you're doin' a heckuva job!" Perhaps the oddest and saddest comparison is that Katrina, hitting Louisiana almost seventy years to the day after the Keys hurricane, underscores that government hasn't come all that far in preparedness, rescue and recovery.

"Hemingway's Hurricane" is a good book but not a great one. However, Scott's attention to detail make it worth the read and the story is one that has needed to be told.

... Read more