Product Description
Published to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2010, Tom Neil is one of only a handful of veterans still alive today.

Product Description
Julie Tanaka's husband takes a job for a boatyard in Trinidad, delivering a yacht to California. The boat goes down, his body is washed up on the beach with pounds of cocaine and the DEA sends Bill Broxton to investigate. Julie is in Trinidad, living on board her own boat, when a process server representing the boatyard confronts her. They want to seize her sixty-foot sailboat for bills her husband had supposedly not paid, but she doesn't believe them and sneaks the boat out of the country. Unknown to Julie, the owner of the boatyard has secreted hundreds of thousands of dollars of cocaine and cash in Julie's boat, fiberglassing it into the hull and between the bulkheads. He wants the boat back with Julie dead and the only thing standing in his way is Bill Broxton. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A Good Book with Characters I Cared About
Sometimes I like to read a thriller that takes place in the city, in a place I'm familiar with, because it's easier to identify with the characters, good and bad. But sometimes I like to be taken away to an exotic place, a place where everything is new to me and that's what happens here in "Hurricane," a thriller that takes place in the Caribbean. I liked the atmosphere of the book the characters and the sailing action.

Bill Broxton is a DEA agent who made his debut in "Scorpion" is back and he's investigating the death of Hideo Tanaka, a Japanese American, off the coast of California. His American wife Julie and their daughter Meiko are living on a sailboat in the Caribbean, waiting for Hideo to come back from his boat delivery job, but instead they get news of his death, but before the women get time to grieve, a boatyard wants to confiscate their sailing home because of Hideo's unpaid bills. And it turns out that not only did he apparently owe money, but that he might have been involved with a drug cartel and also that maybe he wasn't just delivering a boat to the States, but drugs as well.

Julie and Meiko flee in their sailboat, thinking the boatyard wants the boat for the unpaid bills that were not really owed, but actually the drug cartel has hidden lots of cocaine on board and they want it back. Broxton and a very likable drug smuggler take off after the women to try and save them, but unknown to them all a Hurricane is on the way.

This was an exciting read and as I said above, it took me away from the world I live in. I liked the characters of Julie and Meiko very much and I liked DEA agent Bill Broxton too, but I liked the smuggler T-Bone best of all. And that's what really did it for me with this book, characters I cared about.

Heroes and Villains, a Scoundrel and a Hurricane, and More
This book has is all, women on the run from some very bad guys, a good guy cop who is a little odd, but a good romantic lead and a lovable scoundrel who teams up with the cop to track down the bad guys before they harm the women. The action takes place in the Caribbean, the woman are fleeing on a sailboat from bad guy drug smugglers and the cop and the scoundrel are on hot on the sails of the smugglers and they are all headed toward St. Martin. Hurricane Darlene is headed that way too. So can the heroes save the day before the bad guys do in the women or before the hurricane does in them all? Well that that's what this excellent five star book is all about. Pick it up and read about it for yourself.

Fast and Exciting
Hideo Tanaka is working for a Trinidadian shipyard when the boat he is delivering from the Caribbean to California blows up of the Southern California coast. When the authorities investigate they find that the boat was being used to smuggle drugs into the United States. Suspecting that this is just the tip of the iceberg, the DEA sends Bill Broxton to Trinidad, where he discovers Tanaka's American born wife Julie and her step-daughter Meiko living on a sailboat in the yacht club there. Julie and Meiko are novice sailors, in fact they don't know much about sailing at all.

Right after Broxton questions the two women a local lawyer tries to serve papers to Julie. He claims the boat has been confiscated because of shipyard bills owed. Julie and Meiko don't believe him and they leave the country during the darkness of night, however what they don't know is that the owner of the shipyard is behind the cocaine smuggling and he sends some very bad people out after them.

Meanwhile Broxton has been framed for murder and getting caught and jailed in Trinidad is the last thing he wants, so he too sneaks out of the country, both running from the law and chasing after the bad guys who are after the good girls. I hope that's not too confusing for you, it makes a lot more sense when you're reading it, which I did in two sittings. You should check this book out, I think you'll like it.

Sailboats, Drama and Action on the High Seas
Julie Tanaka is married to an older Japanese man named Hideo and they live on a sailboat in Trinidad in the Caribbean. Her daughter Meiko is visiting from California when the police come by the marina and tell Julie that Hideo had been killed delivering a sailboat when the boat blew up.

Bill Broxton is a DEA agent and he believes Hideo Tanaka was delivering drugs along with the sailboat and that rival drug smugglers murdered him along with the crew on the drug running sailboat.

Unknown to Julie the drug smugglers her husband had been working for have hidden a large supply of their illegal cargo aboard her boat. The drug lords try to legally seize the boat, claiming bad debts, but Julie and Meiko smuggle the boat out of the country in the middle of the night. It's not long before the smugglers are hot on their trail and in short order Broxton is chasing after the smugglers, and their all charging head long into a hurricane.

This is a tightly plotted, tense, action-packed thriller that I can't recommend highly enough.

Pulse Racing Thriller
"Hurricane" is about two daring women who are running from dangerous drug smugglers in the Caribbean. Beth and her step-daughter Noel, who is only a few years younger than Beth, are left with only their sailboat when Beth's husband dies of a heart attack in Trinidad. What the women don't know is that members of the Salizar Drug Cartel have hidden a small fortune's worth of cocaine aboard. The smugglers try to get the boat by legal means, but the women sneak the boat out of the country during the night and the chase is on. This exciting thriller will get your heart a beating to beat the band, that's for sure. I loved it and I think you will too. ... Read more

Product Description
New Look! Relaunched with new jackets and 8 pages of new text!

Here is a dramatic and compelling guide to nature's most dangerous and destructive forces. Stunning full-color photographs, models and illustrations offer a unique "eyewitness" view of catastrophic weather conditions.See into the eye of a spiraling cyclone, hailstones the size of tennis balls, a spectacular lightning ball, the devastating effects of the El Nino phenomenon, and how a gentle mountain stream can become a raging torrent within a few minutes.Learn the techniques developed through the centuries to forecast weather, about the chicken that was stripped of its feathers by a tornado, about Benjamin Franklin's lightning rod, and why human activity can cause weather patterns to change.Discover what causes giant waves capable of engulfing entire cities, the disastrous consequences of drought, how plants and animals have adapted to withstand extreme conditions, the weather patterns beyond Earth, and much, much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The good book for my soon
I bought this book for my soon (9 years hold) and he is enthusiastic about the book.

Extreme Weather
I am an adult but have read about 35-40 DK Eyewitness books in the past 15 months. I'm catching up with a lot of the science I never learned in school, and the illustrations and simple style that is easy for young readers to understand while not talking down to adults like me are invaluable in building my knowledge of these subject areas.

I have a perverse interest in tornadoes, so I looked forward to reading this book. However, I think a better title for this book would have been "Extreme Weather". Of the 60-some pages of material in this book, only 4 each are devoted to the subjects of hurricanes and tornadoes. The remainder of the book is devoted to weather basics (also covered excellently in the book in this series called "Weather") and other severe and extreme weather conditions.

Despite this somewhat misleading title, I highly recommend this book and all of the DK Eyewitness books that I've read. A somewhat newer book in the series, "Natural Disasters", covers some of the same material plus non-weather-related calamities such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and disease epidemics. "Natural Disasters" was published recently enough to include coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004.

Great book for young weather enthusiast!
My twins, age 4 1/2, love this book. Interesting history of weather phenomena, and some really great pictures!

SO EXCITING
I"M INTERESTED ABOUT HRRICANES AND TORNADOES TOO
THIS DK BOOK WAS JUST SO EXCITING

[...]

I Love Eyewitness Books!I want them in Spanish too!
This is a great addition to the Eyewitness Series.Kids will go nuts over all the information on tornados and hurricanes.It's right up disaster alley. ... Read more

Product Description
This remarkable true story begins in a Brooklyn ghetto when a group of Canadians meets Lesra (Lazarus), an illiterate black teenager who wins their hearts. They end up bringing him to Toronto to help with his education, and while learning to read, Lesra finds a copy of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's The Sixteenth Round. It was a book destined to change Lesra's life forever, and the lives of his adopted family.

Rubin Carter, the subject of Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane," was a number one middleweight boxing contender who had been wrongfully imprisoned after a white jury found him guilty of the murder of three whites in 1966.A huge public outcry followed the publication of The Sixteenth Round in 1974, culminating in a retrial, which was a virtual reenactment of the original travesty, with Carter receiving the same triple life sentence.

Moved by Lesra's passion, his adopted Canadian family contacted Carter and reinvigorated the legal battle. The inspiring relationship that ensued forms the heart of Lazarus and the Hurricane--a riveting legal drama, fast-paced murder investigation, and above all, a moving account of hope, humanity, and the indomitability of the human spirit. Amazon.com Review
In 1979, Lesra, a 16-year-old African American boy from an impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood, befriended three thirtysomething Canadians in the borough on business. The boy, whom the Canadians flew to Toronto to visit them, had led a life so far from the comforts of nature that he stumbled trying to walking on a lawn. Charmed by the exuberant and obviously intelligent Lesra (Lazarus), and aware that without decent health care, a safe environment, or an education he would have little or no hope of success in his dangerous neighborhood, this exceptional group of people invited him to live with and be educated by them. Lesra thrived under their watch--but the story of Lazarus and the Hurricane is only beginning.

After finally being taught to read, at age 16, Lesra immerses himself in The Sixteenth Round, the autobiography of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. The African American prizefighter was tried and convicted in 1966 for murders he didn't commit (the book's title refers to his bouts with the legal system as he tries to get himself exonerated). Lesra and his Canadian "family" pursued both a cause and a friendship with Carter that would transform all of their lives. The Canadians are active but not particularly distinct personalities in this book--a group of do-gooders who don't want too much credit. And Lesra, though he is finely described in early chapters, also falls away from the center of the story once Carter comes into view, for the Hurricane is a centrifugal force that cannot be ignored. Widely read and sensitive, but also pleasure-loving and intensely vital, Carter is the reason readers will be unable to forget this story. And they shouldn't. As Carter revives his fight with the support of his new friends and generous lawyers, working through a byzantine maze of court rulings and appeals, the shortcomings of America's legal and prison systems are made painfully clear. The compelling, bittersweet story in Lazarus and the Hurricane should be a call to action. --Maria Dolan ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Best book I have ever read
This is the best book that I have ever read. What a devastating, yet inspiration story all at once. The tragidy that society placed on minority groups in the past has to be told and this is told so eloquently. This is a must read for every man, woman, and child in our society today. We must never forget the past so that we do not go there again. This tragedy should never be repeated. The story of what life is all about is in this book. It will touch you like no other book has before.

Good Story ...Told Not So Well
I really enjoyed the Ruber Carter biography The 16th Round. Carter is an amazing writer and he has an amazing life story. I figured this book would be sort of a follow up to his book taking us from incarceration in the end of 16th Round to freedom in Lazarus...
Instead of getting to the story like Carter was able to the authors of this book felt the need to give a over done bio on Lesra Martin, who would come to befriend Carter. While it seems their intentions were positive for this kid they tend to paint his pre Canada picture as almost insulting this poor kid because of how he talked and acted, and I found the actual presenting his dialogue in supposed Brooklyn slang to be slightly distracting, and we could have done without the language lesson in "Black English"
Sadly after this intro to the character of Lesra they really fail to mention him much after the story gets going. Lesra is lost to countless stories of trips to see Carter in prison and legal insight.
The authors who are not Americans seem to almost take enjoyment in bashing the American legal system. They offer a very uneducated assumption based point of view on facts and issues I feel they had little understanding of. And while personally I feel Carter was not guilty of the crimes, the authors paint Carter as a tragic hero you should feel bad for, however that is by far over shadowed by theirself-righteous telling of the legal battle in which they take the light that is supposed to be on Carter and apply it to them. They seem to want to have the reader view them as these people who are so good hearted and do everything to aide Carter so well that you can't help but love them.

This book is good to get more facts but if you are looking for a follow up to Carter's story it's not here, this is instead an undiverse retelling of Carter's legal battle, less from the point of view of legal experts and more so that of "crusaders" who were out to see Carter free.
I respect what they helped do for Carter but find the way they recall the story to be offensive and at times selfish.

Fair treatment of two great stories
This book is not as well-written as some of the other books out there, but the stories it tackles are certainly interesting.

Rubin Carter, the brash young boxer turned local cop fall-guy, has a heartbreaking story that begins the moment he is taken in for questioning in a murder that he didn't commit, and ends years later, when he is finally exonerated as an older man.

Lesra has an even more heartbreaking story; as a pre-teen, he is in a prison of his own, the prison of a miserably poor life in the ghetto that has deprived his good genes of achieving their potential.

The book tracks the arrest and imprisonment of Carter, and the story of Lesra as he is taken in by a group of Canadian liberals who wish to give him a better chance at life. To me, the story of Lesra was even more interesting than the story of Carter. The most compelling scenes in the book happen when Lesra begins to adjust to his new lifestyle, and to transform from a physically stunted, uneducated boy into a sensitive and articulate young man. It gives pause to anyone who has ever said that those who live in poor urban America just need to work a little harder if they want to get out. The book makes the argument that the environment of the ghetto is so harmful that just being born and raised there creates a version of you that is almost incapable of rising above the more obvious obstacles.

Young Lesra becomes interested in Carter after reading his book, and he and his guardians become involved in trying to achieve justice for Carter. After a long and trying bureaucratic battle, they finally help to free Rubin Carter, whose innocence could not be questioned by anyone remotely acquainted with the facts of his case.

As much as I liked the stories, the writing was not very good, and often impaired my enjoyment. The fact that the authors are Lesra's Canadian friends is treated rather awkwardly, and characterizations of all of the main characters is pretty subjective, with the kindest possible spin given to every harsh word or action.

This contributes to a feeling that the authors are not being completely honest about the story; it's not that I think they're lying, but rather that they aren't willing to evaluate everything with a critical and objective eye. In one sense, the most important sense, the idea of six comparatively wealthy do-gooders taking a boy out of the ghetto and then taking the ghetto out of the boy is noble and uplifting. But another way to look at it, as a group of meddlers playing God with a human guinea pig, is never really addressed. It kind of reminded me of My Fair Lady in some ways. It's not that I disagree with the wonderful gift that they have given to Lesra; it's just that I think there's more to the story of how they came to decide to do that particular good act.

Overall, I do recommend this book because it has a lot to say, and to prove, about race relations and injustice in America. The unveiling of the corruption of those who sought to have Carter imprisoned is absolutely and unequivocally shocking. The difficulties that the innocent Carter encounters are just disgusting; he's not an innocent man in prison seeking to establish his innocence, but rather an innocent man in prison whose innocence is well-documented, and who can't seem to get anyone to listen, despite resources and national attention well beyond what most prisoners have. Lesra is equally exemplary of another serious problem; how can we expect good citizenship from America's urban poor when their environment is so suffused with negativity and animalistic treatment, 24 hours a day and seven days a week? The pull-themselves-up-by-the-bootstraps argument never seemed so hollow.

Inspiring Lives
Two stories in one book, the first part about a young man named Lesra (short for Lazarus) and then the full history of Rubin Carter known as the Hurricane, a black American framed for a crime he never committed and wrongfully imprisoned.A third influence which shadows both stories is a group of people known as the Canadians, their motivations are not revealed to the reader yet without the actions taken by these Canadians the stories with happy endings told in this book would not have been possible.

Lesra was 15 when he was hired to work at a lab in Brooklyn as part of an government funded summer program for inner city youth, it was there that he met a group of Canadians who were working at the lab on a research project.He was invited to visit them later for a weekend in Toronto and they were shocked at the appalling state of his education, though in high school he was unable to read or write and had an extremely limited vocabulary, didn't know how to read a map and had never run on grass.Lesra moved in with them in Canada and they took over his education, Lesra eventually went to university and his whole story of being rescued from a ghetto life and realizing his full potential in a different environment is uplifting.

As Lesra is discovering whole new worlds through books he comes across, "The Sixteenth Round" by Rubin Carter, and Lesra begins writing to Rubin in prison.The group of Canadians become involved with the Hurricane and the rest of the book is devoted to the freeing of Rubin Carter, the incredible amount of work it took and the history of Carter's case in the courts of New Jersey.

Though the book was engrossing there is too much left hanging, mainly what is the motivation of the Canadians and who are they really?Also the title is somewhat misleading as we don't hear much about Lesra except at the beginning.Finally, if it is true as suggested in other reviews here that Rubin was having a love affair that went on for several years with one of the Canadians, then that would most certainly be a glaring omission giving quite a different view of the same story.

Inspirational Story
This story is an inspiration.The idea that good can win over evil.That the poor and uneducated will be taken in and educated and the wrongly accused will be freed is a very nice idea.While I'm sure that many of the gritty details of have been over looked or glossed over, I believe that adds to the inspirational value of the book.Afterall, if this story did not have a happy ending Rubin Carter would still be in jail and we would have all forgotten about him long ago. ... Read more

Product Description
History is filled with stories of adventure. This account, however, also includes the unmistakable presence of the hand of God. Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry is a book born out of supernatural flight missions that saved countless lives by the grace of God. Not to be confused with the pre-existing Angel Flight medical air transportation organizations, the new Angel Flight 44 ministry revealed in these pages has its own unique mission, and a most miraculous beginning. The miraculous adventure of humanitarian relief that pilot Glen Hyde and copilot Denny Ghiringhelli experienced is a remarkable tale of mercy in the face of catastrophe, and the love of God expressed through His supernatural intervention. Two world-renowned ministries partnered with a veteran aviator and his Douglas Super DC-3, an American Airlines 767 captain, numerous companies, and a storm-wearied pastor in Slidell, Louisiana, to obey a call from God to help hurting people. However, this relief mission not only saved many hurricane victims, it forever changed the lives of the people who conducted it. The numerous testimonies of this adventure have already profoundly impacted the thousands who have heard them. Now that they are collected within this book, these stories should similarly impact you. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

God Is POWERFUL!!!
A Must Read Book!A True Story about Hurricane Katrina, and How God is in Control!

In His Service,

Rev. Fr. Thomas J. Siltz
Old Catholic Priest

Folks who help in spite of the problems encountered!
OK, it's a little bit preaching, but beyond that it's an excellent story about a group of folks and two pilots who really make a difference in the lives of the folks who survived Katrina.

Marvelous! Simply, marvelous!
There are only a handful of books that I have read more than once, and only one or two that I have read twice or more. Angel Flight 44 is the first book ever that I have read perhaps a dozen times...and I cannot help but think I will pick it up and read it again yet more.

Angel Flight 44 simply moves me. Whenever my eyes find themselves dancing once again upon its pages, I discover fresh nuances that somehow I had missed before. Certain portions moved me to tears the first few times I read them; yet these are not tears of sadness, but of an overwhelming sense of God's goodness and love for mankind. Even the most recent perusals of this magnificent text have caused my eyes to water a bit when I have reviewed these same moments within the story. That said, few books have ever moved this former military man in such a way. For Angel Flight 44 do so is quite a testimony to its uniqueness among books.

I have discussed Angel Flight 44 with other readers, and have found that regardless of gender, race, economic status, or even religious preferences, people are similarly moved. One gentleman was even moved to the point of pursuing flight training so that he could participate in such courageous relief missions himself, should the need once again arise.

Another businessman, whose shadow rarely darkened the door of a church, called his Christian son and began regular attendance at his congregation. His reason? He discovered within the pages of Angel Flight 44 that the miraculous was real, and that Christianity was indeed intended to empower real men of courage and faith.

One Christian woman found similar motivation and commented, "I want to live a life by the power of the Holy Spirit too!" The wife of a certain pastor commented, "This is going to change the way the Church does things forever." My own wife, for that matter, has seemed to be in competition with me to see who can read it the most. We have even purchased copies and given them away to others that they may also be blessed by its pages.

I could expound upon the elements of the story itself, but to do so would spoil the surprise. So I will refrain. Let me note, however, that I am impressed with the design of the flow of the book. Rich Vermillion chose to fashion its order into multiple sections, each apparently designed to simulate some form of other media in its textual flow. For example, the main story reads like a movie. Then it has a "Special Feature" chapter that describes the history of the airplane, which reads like a small documentary. Then the "Extra Scenes" sections adds short stories that seem like movie scenes perhaps cut out by the director. The author comments that these were stories worthy of inclusion, but which either followed the time frame of the main story or were difficult to work into the text, and so were set apart within their own section.

Following these are two "Behind the Scenes" sections about the two international ministries which were involved in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Then a "Spiritual Commentary" section wherein a minister involved answers many of the theological questions which arose in Christian circles regarding this storm. Finally, the book ends with a "Future of Angel Flight 44" chapter written by Glen Hyde, and a "Most Important Decision" chapter written by Rich Vermillion. The author credits his inspiration to this unique book organization to his desire to inspire young readers to delve into its pages by simulating media they are more familiar with. Regardless of his motivation, however...it just works.

If you would prefer an abridged edition at a bargain price, I recommend the recently released Angel Flight 44: A True Story, which I have also read. It contains all the same elements of this original edition EXCEPT the "Behind the Scenes", "Spiritual Commentary", and "Future of Angel Flight 44" sections. The "Most Important Decision" chapter is actually expanded quite a bit and, in my opinion, much better than the original version. The main story, "Special feature", and "Extra Scenes" sections are perfectly intact in this abridged edition. The abridged edition is simply streamlined down to the most powerful elements of the original book, and is a much quicker book to read as a result.

Overall, I cannot express enough how impacting this book is to whomever reads it. The miracles, the courage, the testimonies - these cannot be described adequately in an online book review. Simply put: To get grasp how powerful and unique this book is, you will simply have to read it for yourself. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

like a hurricane
Love Roxanne, this is the first book of the Mcgrath brothers, she knows how to hook you...

Great sensual read
Well, Roxanne St. Claire did it again.LIKE A HURRICANE was packed full of emotions, heat, sensuality and desire.Mac and Nicole come alive on the page thanks to St. Claire's wonderful descriptive and realistic writing.I actually read this second in the three-book McGrath series, but it flowed just as well.Can't wait for the third installment.

Like a Hurricane
This is the first book I've read by Roxanne St. Claire and I have ordered all of the rest based on this title.It's the first of a series on the McGrath boys and I can't begin to tell you how wonderful, sexy, funny.....it was.I highly recommend it.

The second book in the series is The Fire Still Burns and it's wonderful as well.Both books restore my faith in love and happy endings.

Couldn't put it down for a second!
This story was an awesome read.I've really enjoyed this author's past work and with Like a Hurricane she shows that she can write anything and do a fantastic job.

Sexy and fun
Like A Hurricane is a fun and sassy read. The Florida setting sparkles and the sexy attraction is as powerful as a hurricane. Can't wait for the brothers stories. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive chronological guide to hurricanes, tropical storms, and near-misses to impact Florida since 1871, this compact volume contains the widest possible range of statistics and information for the 181 tropical cyclones to reach Florida, 72 of them with hurricane force winds, 78 as tropical storms.

Accessible and easy to understand, Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms explains the terminology used by meteorologists, demonstrates the use of the Saffir/Simpson Scale, and explores the historical and geographical contexts of each hurricane and tropical storm. A glossary defines all technical terms. Additional features include statistics for each hurricane and tropical storm, first-person eyewitness accounts, one-of-a-kind photos, 10-year tracking charts, and a hurricane preparedness checklist. Readers will also gain a better understanding of evacuation procedures and of what to expect in terms of property damage. References and a list of Internet web sites point readers to additional sources of information.

With 40 percent of its residents living in coastal zones, Florida is a state uniquely threatened by hurricanes. A book as fascinating as it is useful, Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms is the definitive reference for the general public, amateur storm trackers, coastal homeowners, and anyone interested in Florida meteorology, written in a style accessible even to young students of Florida weather. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

TOO LITTLE HERE
The basic facts behind Florida's hurricane history are included here.The book is filled with figures and statistics.No storm is left out. Yet much of what is included could probably be found in an internet search.The book is too small to provide much of real value to most readers.Other publications will give the reader more for the money, even if he is interested only in Florida.

A very informative book, a shelf book for all of Florida
Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms is a very informative book that will enlighten people in Florida as to the areas most susceptible to hurricanes, the history of hurricanes and the least likely area to bestruck. John Williams adds some personal accounts from him and partnersthat picks an otherwise dry subject for some and makes it a book you don'twant to put down. The book needs updating, as it only covers the hurricaneseason up to 1996, but the pictures and charts are very helpful for theresearcher and casual reading alike. Probably the best book on hurricanesdealing specifically with Florida. ... Read more

Product Description
Newlyweds Molly and David are only sixteen and eighteen years old when they head west.But they work hard, and at first their new life is full of promise, especially after a baby is born.Then disaster strikes and David must journey to find work, leaving Molly to face the prairie winter alone, in this gripping novel by the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A real gem! Should be required reading!
This is such a beautifully written book - I have recommended it to others and each one who has read it has adored it.I've always loved Laura Ingall Wilder's books and was reading about her on Wikipedia the other day, when I read the entry on Rose Wilder Lane and was intrigued.I took out this book and Old Hometown from the libary and am hooked - they are beautifully written and evocative books.What a wonderful storyteller!Let the Hurricane Roar really does give you an idea of what the pioneers and their wives went through - her descriptions of the wife's plight were especiallymoving and took away any self-pity I might ever feel for a bad day at home!

Knowing the history helps
R.W. Lane was a writer LONG before her mother ever picked up a pencil. While The previous reviewers found Let the Hurricane Roar to be very similar to the LIW books, there is a reason. R.W. Lane based her novel on her grandparents' experiences in homesteading. (It's not surprising, then, for people to find similarities....) What is surprising to most people is the fact that the Little House Series was virtually unpublishable in its original form -- until Ms. Lane edited her mother's very basic manuscripts, giving them style, flow and poise. Her own career ended up suffering terribly from this devotion to her mother. I found Hurricane to be vastly superior to the LIW books (which should rightly be credited to RWLane, as well); the content, pacing and structure were far better developed, as were the characterizations. Brilliant depiction of the trials of homesteading on the plains.

Let The Hurricanr Roar
this story is really intresthing. it is just like on the banks of plum creek. i dont understand why they traveled west. But molly is the only 1 watching the baby while david travel back west to find a job i dont now why she and the baby didnt go with him.

I loved the book
This is a good book but if you are expecting it to be written in the style of Laura Ingalls Wilder's series, you have a surprise coming. Rose Wilder Lane is a good writer, but in an extremely different style from that of hermother...

This book is great!
This is a really good book, and although it's similar to books written byLaura Ingells Wilder, it's not that similar.Even though the characterslive in a house very much like the one described in 'On The Banks Of PlumbCreek,' it is most like 'The Long Winter.'Even though it is similar tothese two books, it doesn't matter because except for a few minor things,it is completly different from the original Little House Books. ... Read more

Product Description
Hurricane Katrina shredded one of the great cities of the South, and as levees failed and the federal relief effort proved lethally incompetent, a natural disaster became a man-made catastrophe. As an editor of New Orleans’ daily newspaper, the Pulitzer Prize—winning Times-Picayune, Jed Horne has had a front-row seat to the unfolding drama of the city’s collapse into chaos and its continuing struggle to survive.

As the Big One bore down, New Orleanians rich and poor, black and white, lurched from giddy revelry to mandatory evacuation. The thousands who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave initially congratulated themselves on once again riding out the storm. But then the unimaginable happened: Within a day 80 percent of the city was under water. The rising tides chased horrified men and women into snake-filled attics and onto the roofs of their houses. Heroes in swamp boats and helicopters braved wind and storm surge to bring survivors to dry ground. Mansions and shacks alike were swept away, and then a tidal wave of lawlessness inundated the Big Easy. Screams and gunshots echoed through the blacked-out Superdome. Police threw away their badges and joined in the looting. Corpses drifted in the streets for days, and buildings marinated for weeks in a witches’ brew of toxic chemicals that, when the floodwaters finally were pumped out, had turned vast reaches of the city into a ghost town.

Horne takes readers into the private worlds and inner thoughts of storm victims from all walks of life to weave a tapestry as intricate and vivid as the city itself. Politicians, thieves, nurses, urban visionaries, grieving mothers, entrepreneurs with an eye for quick profit at public expense–all of these lives collide in a chronicle that is harrowing, angry, and often slyly ironic.

Even before stranded survivors had been plucked from their roofs, government officials embarked on a vicious blame game that further snarled the relief operation and bedeviled scientists striving to understand the massive levee failures and build New Orleans a foolproof flood defense. As Horne makes clear, this shameless politicization set the tone for the ongoing reconstruction effort, which has been haunted by racial and class tensions from the start.
Katrina was a catastrophe deeply rooted in the politics and culture of the city that care forgot and of a nation that forgot to care. In Breach of Faith, Jed Horne has created a spellbinding epic of one of the worst disasters of our time.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

Good story,Bad narrator!
We had heard bits and pieces of this storybeing read on NPR (National Public Radio) and really looked forward to listening to the entire story.

The narrator for the copy we purchased was awful ~ there were so many mis-pronounced words, it was almost unbearable to listen to.

Next time, either get a "local" to narrate or make sure that the narrator knows how to pronounce all of the cities, streets, and local references correctly.

Thanks, Diane

an intense look and the human damage from Katrina
While I would've liked to see move overview of this American tradegy, following the lives of these real people during harrowing times was amazing

New Orleans-comprehensive coverage
This book is a smashing account of the disaster in New Orleans. In spite of being "just another" account, it's a real life, gripping drama that you cannot put down. So readable, the drama unfolds with people and circumstances that are unbelievable to the rest of us who could only find facts from news account. Read it; you'll never be the same.

hard read
this book is all over the place. I was on page 58 and realized I haven't really learned anything or following any concrete story.
The Great Deluge is much better

A Lesson About America
For many of us, watching the events following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina unfold on our TV screens in August of 2005 was an eye-opening experience.The lasting images of Katrina victims on our TVs telling us of their misery and suffering, while the government seemingly did nothing to intervene, sparked national outrage.In all, Katrina left 1,100 people dead, damaged thousands of residences, crashed the city's water and sewerage infrastructure, took out electricity and mail service for months, and left four-fifths of the city of New Orleans - seven times the size of Manhattan - underwater.A tragedy on this scale hadn't struck the United Stance since the San Francisco earthquake, and the victims we watched on the news - stranded at the Superdome or Convention Center or the highway out of town - represented a small fraction of the estimated 250,000 New Orleans residents left homeless by Katrina.In "Breach of Faith," author Jed Horne, a reporter for the local New Orleans paper who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his contribution to the paper's coverage of Katrina, helps explain why this tragedy occurred and what it says about us as a country.Through a series of stories - stories, he says, of heroes, rogues, dreamers, and doers - Horne promises to "provide a lesson for America about itself."

In fact, these stories are the heart of "Breach of Faith."There is the story of the social service worker watching as chaos descends at the Superdome.There is the story of the New Orleans resident who returns to his family's home after Katrina to find an X, code for dead, marking the family house, and the story of his struggle for months fighting FEMA bureaucracy to recover the remains of his father for a proper burial.There is the particularly affecting story of the doctor at the city hospital, serving the poorest of New Orleans residents, as the hospital waits for a week to be evacuated, all the while hearing the sound of helicopters rescuing patients from New Orleans' other, richer hospitals.There is the story of the former levee board president, boating across the drowned city and finding his biggest surprise to be the city's utter silence - no police, no firemen, no one.And then there is the story of the local paper's photographer, who also notes the utter lack of help, the utter lack of government presence whatsoever.A fellow photographer takes the famous picture of the woman who will become a Katrina icon as she slumps to her knees, wrings her hands, and begs, "Help Us."

"Breach of Faith" isn't just the story of Katrina victims, but also of this silence, this utter lack of help for the city of New Orleans.It is the story of the FEMA director who is more concerned with finding a dogsitter and making dinner plans than the suffering on the ground in New Orleans.It is the story of the Homeland Security chief who tells the American people that Katrina was unprecedented and couldn't have been anticipated when, in fact, the whole scenario had not only been anticipated but simulated in a disaster drill just a year earlier.It is the story of insurance companies not honoring Katrina victims' policies but instead leaving coverage up to the federal government, prompting a lawsuit joined by staunch conservative Senator Trent Lott.It is the story of the Army Corps of Engineers who did such a poor job of constructing levees to protect the city from floodwaters that one scientist compared it to "putting bricks on Jello-O."And it is the story of President Bush, strumming on his guitar in San Diego as all this misery is taking place.Three days after Katrina hits, during his plane trip back to Washington, DC, Air Force One flies over New Orleans, leaving a lasting image of Bush in the clouds, peering out the windows to steal a glance at one of the worst disasters in American history from far above.

Through these stories, Horne puts the reader in New Orleans and provides us with a deeper understanding of this man-made disaster, dispelling media myths and explaining the complex series of events that contributed to cause this disaster.Although structuring his book through these stories is somewhat flawed - it is difficult to keep track of the characters and the second half of the book loses steam in focusing on the technical rather than the personal stories of Katrina - Horne succeeds in showing that Katrina is not just a New Orleans story, but rather it is an American story.These are stories of people anyone can relate to - people like us, in situations that could happen to any of us.But ultimately the lesson about America Horne promised readers is unclear."Breach of Faith" begins and ends with the story of Patrina Peters.At the beginning of the book, the 43-year-old mother living in the Lower Ninth clings to a mattress with her daughter, certain that they will both be killed by the floodwaters.Fortunately, they are saved, then dropped off at the Superdome and eventually displaced to a bland upriver town.At the end of the book, Peters decides she misses New Orleans and her church too much and must return - her faith has not been breached.Like Patrina Peters' story, though, the story behind "Breach of Faith" is unfinished, for we as readers are left to wonder, is Peters' faith justified?Will she make it in New Orleans?According to an article in The New York Times, it is up to us as Americans to determine the fate of New Orleans: will we contribute the funding and vision necessary to rebuild this great city, or will we let it die?This part of the story -- the true lesson about America -- has yet to be written.
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Although Easter O'Brian abandons a comfortable marriage and the advice columns of the fifties to pursue her own artistic vision and sexual desires, she remains a devoted mother to her children. 35,000 first printing. $35,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A fictional adventure of life!
Kept me reading page after page.One of my favorite Daniell books.It felt so real and present.A well written story, of the southern women artist that wants to live and love.

Raging Hurricane
This is a gutwrenching book about creativity, addiction, insanity and gender in the Deep South.A truly readable book challenging assumptions about conventional morality and what it means to be an artist, a woman anda mother wherever you are. ... Read more

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David runs through the pain. (RL 3.2) ... Read more

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Reed Timmer, a star of the top rated Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel is one of the most successful and most extreme storm chasers in the world. His is a job that requires science and bravado, knowledge and instinct just to survive, never mind excel. Now, in Into the Storm, he takes readers inside the terrifying and awe-inspiring world of big weather.

Published to coincide with the fourth season's premiere, Into the Storm is Timmer's dramatic account of his extraordinary profession. Featuring stories of the three-hundred-plus extreme tornados, hurricanes, or blizzards that Timmer has watched ring-side over the last decade-storms that include the killer F5 tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma, in May 1999; the unprecedented, devastating storm surge of Hurricane Katrina; and the little-studied but enormously powerful storm systems in places like Canada and Argentina. As a Ph.D. candidate in meteorology, Timmer is after more than just an adrenaline rush-his stories feature fascinating insights into the science of storms, and how the data he is collecting will could possibly save lives. With a firsthand perspective on the storm-chasing community, Timmer also takes readers inside this world, examining his controversial obsession and the ethical debates it sparks.
Featuring the same you-are-there immediacy that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Timmer's web site tornadovideos.net, every month, Into the Storm is one wild-and informative-ride. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

I was almost afraid to buy this book.
I am a fan of Storm Chasers on Discovery but not a fan of most of the behaviors on that show. Reed was one of those whose loud enthusiasm would get on my nerves at times. This book showed me another side of Reed Timmer. The book showed a young man who was still incredibly passionate about his love for meteorology in general, tornado chasing in particular but also self-aware and insightful about his own behaviors and how they come across.

The book essentially starts with his incoming freshman experience at UO with occasional side trips to his childhood development on through to his Ph.D. and current goals. As Reed recalls stages in his meteorological education we are taught meteorology in small understandable and very interesting segments. Fortunately for us, Reed did leave out the detailed physics and math involved in his education. I never realized how intensive getting that kind of degree was.

Reed's journey through school also involved tornado and hurricane chases: booms and busts. Always with great descriptive detail and admitting when he screwed up, showing an angst and concern for those accompanying him which has not been a side seen on TV.

Those who see Timmer as merely an excitement junkie looking for a fix will be in for a surprise. Clearly, he has an incredible singleminded focus on chasing tornadoes but that focus also includes an equal passion for the chasing the science to understand tornadoes.

Engaging, entertaining, educational and well written: This was a book I could not put down. I wish it was longer. Hopefully there will be more, especially as Reed experiments and develops assorted out of the box methods for data collection and scientific study of the beasts he is chasing.

Thrilling!What a Page Turner!
As good as any thriller on the stands today!From the moment I picked it up I could not put it down.It shows all the trials and tribulations of storm chasing and I didn't even have to get wet!Reed really is passionate about this and is willing to risk his life to save others.I am such a fan of the Discovery Channel show and really this book brought it to a whole new level.He is trying to research some robust science and push the envelope to the extreme.I want to sign up for the Extreme Tornado Tour now!YOU MUST BUY THIS BOOK!WHAT A THRILL RIDE!

GREAT!
This book is so cool! It`s almost like in real life! It`s like when you`re reading, he 'comes' out of the book to take you in with him!

Intense!
I Love this book! It is filled with the same action and intensity that is felt while watching Timmer's television series "Storm Chasers". At times I feel as if I am right there, riding along on the chase, without really realizing that I was being educated on weather too. I recommend this book for everyone, young and old, and hope you enjoy it as much as i have!

Into the Storm: Violent Tornadoes, Killer Hurricanes, and Death-defying Adventures in Extreme Weather

All the thrill of stormchasing, without the danger
I have to admit I was skeptical at first: Wouldn't a visually dynamic phenomenon like storm chasing suffer when translated to the written page? Fortunately, no. To the contrary, I found that all the extra details and context that you get in these pages help to put the reader in the passenger seat like no short clip or TV series can.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in weather or adrenaline. I would never personally risk my life to see storms and hurricanes up close, but reading this gave me a chance to experience what it's like for Mr. Timmer and the others who take that risk in the name of science and kick-ass video.

Highlights for me were the Moore, OK chase and the description of what it was like to go face to face with Hurricane Katrina. If I have a complaint, it's that reading about all these chases made me crave more. I'm not about to hop in a truck and head for the plains, so here's hoping for a sequel. ... Read more

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Eighteen-year-old Hilda, known as "the girl in the gold bikini" when she swam at her country club in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, abruptly leaves the gilded life to take up residence in room 304 of the Hotel Marvelous--as a prostitute. There she becomes Hilda Hurricane, an erotic force of nature no man can resist. The exception is reporter-narrator Roberto Drummond, who attempts to unravel the mystery of why the girl in the gold bikini would forego a comfortable life to join the world's oldest profession. While some in Belo Horizonte cheer Hilda's liberated lifestyle, others seek to have her moved outside the city limits, and a would-be saint cannot seem to finish the exorcism he began outside the Hotel Marvelous. Set against the social and political upheaval of the 1960s, Hilda's story seduces even as Drummond becomes aware of more ominous forces approaching Belo Horizonte.

Hilda Hurricane was both a critical and a commercial success in Brazil, with more than 200,000 copies sold. (The DVD of the television adaptation has sold more than a million copies.) Admirers of Kurt Vonnegut will revel in Drummond's similarly sharp satire and playful digressions, particularly about left-wing politics, which blur the boundary between fiction and autobiography. Yet the real genius of the author's interventions may be that they never slow the story long enough to lose sight of this mysterious beauty swept up in the turmoil of the times.

Product Description
Forget the blizzard of 1978. New England’s storm of the century was the hurricane of 1938. Sometimes called the "Long Island Express" because it rolled through there on the first day of autumn, the hurricane tore northward straight through the heart of New England, wreaking death and destruction with virtually no warning.

The storm registered peak sustained winds of 121 miles per hour, and one gust registered 186 at the Blue Hills Observatory outside Boston. Seawater killed plant life 20 miles inland, and ocean salt sprayed windows in Montpelier, Vermont. An estimated 275 million trees were uprooted or damaged. About 20,000 miles of power and telephone lines were knocked down. Along the shore, 7,000 cottages and 2,000 other houses were destroyed, and the human death toll was estimated at 680. More had died in previous U.S. storms, but given the concentration of population and development on Long Island and in New England, the hurricane of 1938 was the costliest natural disaster in American history to that time.

With this gripping narrative by Aram Goudsouzian, Commonwealth Editions inaugurates a new series, New England Remembers, dedicated to the great events and people that have shaped what we know and love as New England. Like The Hurricane of 1938 and The Big Dig (see facing page), each book in the series will be written by a historian or a writer intimately familiar with the subject. Each book will have a uniform design featuring about 15 archival images. Forthcoming titles include Sacco and Vanzetti, The Cocoanut Grove Fire, James Michael Curley, and Lizzie Borden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Heavy on stories, light on science
This is a very worthwhile book from the human standpoint.It contains a wide variety of stories from those who were actually there, but could have used more facts.I still wonder, for instance, what caused an Atlantic hurricane to suddenly turn and attain a forward speed of 60 mph. ... Read more

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How the Miami Hurricanes rose from a laughingstock to a college football legend-and reshaped American sports.

When fans think of college football, they think of Miami-the cool school with street cred that all the kids dream of playing for. A powerhouse unlike any other, they are a dynasty fueled not by individuals but by the aura of "The Miami Vice"-a swaggering, trash-talking, us-against-the-world mentality. But less than 25 years ago, the program faced extinction. Now, five national championships-and five different coaches-later, Miami is the preeminent football factory, boasting such high-profile NFL alumni as Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Warren Sapp, Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, Clinton Portis, and Jeremy Shockey.

Nothing is typical about the 'Canes. Not the brutal, "voluntary" 6 a.m. workouts in July. Or the merciless drilling of teammates who show fear. Not the constant pressure from their Godfathers, the ex-Canes who want them to uphold the legacy-and will make them pay if they don't. And certainly not the reputation that has made the Hurricanes synonymous with excellence-even among superstar athletes. Now, an award-winning sportswriter gives us a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the Miami program-after more than ten years of special access as a former UM student and beat writer. This is the amazing story of how Miami has won more national championships over the last two decades than Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Florida State combined-and gone from near-death to dynasty. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Awesome Book
Awesome recap on Canes amazing rise to dominance during the 80's.As a graduate of UM during the same time period - it was great to re-live some very exciting games!

Why so expensive?
for a book with an average of three stars, why are the buying options so expensive?

Great read for any college football fan
I should preface this by saying that I am a recent alumni of "The U" so this was a book of which I was extremely interested in.That being said, this is a very well written book and a quick read that you don't want to put down.It's written in a very easy-to-read style and flows well. It is very well researched and I learned quite a bit about a football program that I thought I knew a lot about already.

If you care about the history of college football and want to learn about one of the most historic and important football programs in the country, definitely check this book out. You won't regret it.

The New Century
Where this book shines is in detailing the run up to the fifth national title in 2001. Everything else has been written before. Feldman does a good job overall. But it's just a starting point for his next book, the excellent "Meat Market."

Good book on A Powerhouse,The BEST! UM.
Excellent stories,True stories, Beatdowns of the Seminoles(FSU! blah!). And how The 'Canes Are Born Winners, A POWERHOUSE. Sapp,Johnson, So much.
Book Is a Must for UM FANS! ... Read more

Product Description
Longing to feel closer to his favorite grandfather, Oliver skips school on a sparkling September afternoon and hides out on a tired schooner. When he wakes up on the ways of his grandfather's boatyard and realizes he's been transported back to 1938, he must decide what to do before the dangerous hurricane he'd been studying in school hits. While the main character is a 12 year old boy, Oliver's story, and the story of a powerful weather event that still reverberates along the east coast, is more than appropriate for an adult audience. Written by a 2004 Olympian in sailing, this charming story includes 8 original illustrations, a glossary of nautical terms and a short history of the Great Hurricane of 1938 that devastated the eastern seaboard. The revised edition includes more photographs, maps, a History of Coastal Schooners and is accompanied by a new Teacher's Guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Fun read!
To cynical adult readers, it might seem like every bump on the head in a middle grade or young adult novel results in time travel and world-leaping. Yet anyone who truly understands the genre can tell you this is as valid a literary device as sniffing madeleines in a Parisian cafe. (And certainly more believable than faxing oneself back in time!)

Carol Cronin's YA novel, Oliver's Surprise, begins with the traditional bump on the noggin. And yes, Oliver gets whirled back in time--in this case to the Great Hurricane of 1938.But Oliver's Surprise is anything but a typical time-travel story.

For one thing, Oliver doesn't run into a lot of historical figures. He runs into his own grandparents.He even ends up being a guest in their house, and though they don't have any idea who he is, he quickly figures out who they are.This makes life a little tricky for him.

Also, unlike many time-travel novels, Oliver doesn't end up in the right place at the right time. He's in the wrong place at the wrong time. A horrible hurricane is coming, and not only is it going to devastate the little Rhode Island town of Dutch Harbor, it's going to kill a lot of people: the men he's working with at the docks; maybe even Finn, the boy who's befriended him. Should he tell them? Would they believe him if he did?

Last but not least, the main character in most time-travel stories ends up "saving" history in some way: teaching King Arthur, inspiring Shakespeare, making sure the hero's parents meet and get married. But Oliver's Surprise is more about the past coming alive, how death and loss experienced in the moment are so much more acute than what the history books describe. Yes, Oliver does end up having an effect on history, but it's a lot subtler and more personal than what readers are used to.

The writing in Oliver's Surprise is tight and evocative, and Carol Cronin--former member of the U.S. Sailing Team and winner of two races at the Athens Olympics--is able to completely immerse us in the world of skiffs, schooners, goosenecks and derricks. And Laurie Cronin's beautiful illustrations give the book a warm, nostalgic feel.

My only complaint about Oliver's Surprise? It felt much too short. I wanted more of Oliver, more of his world, more about the hurricane. But since Ms. Cronin has already written a sequel, I guess I won't have to wait very long.

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Wonderful afternoon on the couch!
To repeat other reviewers: this book is not just for kids--but I am certain kids will love it (and I plan to give it to the kids on my list for the holidays. I sank right into the story, and was so caught up in Oliver's dilemma that I began to worry that perhaps he wouldn't make it back home. I am not a sailing buff, but loved all the details about sailing, and happily gobbled every bit of information about the Hurricane.

Wonderful Tale of Nautical Adventure
Oliver's Surprise is a delightful read for kids and adults alike. Twelve-year-old Oliver, who lives on Dutch Island, slips away from school and boards the historical schooner, Surprise. There, he reminisces about the deceased grandfather he loved, who once owned a boatyard. When Oliver slips and hits his head during a fall in the boat's cabin, he drifts into the world of the past and meets his grandfather, who is also named Oliver; his grandmother, Nellie; the Surprise's Cap'n Eli; and a boy named Finn. Oliver learns what life was like during the days prior to the Great Hurricane of 1938; he also comes to know his grandfather as a young man and discovers why the Surprise was the only boat to survive the storm.

This story reminded me of both the Wizard of Oz and Back to the Future. I especially liked Oliver's relationships with his mother, who shares his love of boats and seems to be the anchor in his life, and his grandfather, for whom he has almost an adult admiration and affection. The book is especially appropriate for the classroom, as it contains terrific extras at the end of the story: a map of Jamestown, RI, a brief and informative piece entitled "About the Hurricane," and a glossary of nautical terms.

Oliver's Surprise
Enjoyed it as i grew up there.Disappointed it did not contain anything on the hurricane.I was 8 at the time.Bruce LoringHave a nice
painting of Dutch Island light my Dad did (Paule Loring)

An adventure for all ages
My daughter and I just finished Oliver's Surprise, and we loved it.It was a perfect level for my 9 1/2 year old, and she had no problem following it.She loved the idea of going back in time, and of traveling incognito among relatives 80 years in the past.Some of the accidental slips Oliver made (such as using the not-yet coined term "no-brainer") had her laughing out loud.It was a good family read, and the first book in a long time we've read together.As we read various sections, we turned to the map in back to orient ourselves, and that made us feel like we were in Jamestown.We were fascinated by the history and Oliver's dilemma in knowing about the approaching storm but hesitating to change history.This would make a good read for families during the holidays, and I recommend it to anyone with an interest in boats, history, or just a good adventure.

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Details the course of Hurricane Andrew, which hit the southeastern United States in 1992, and describes the recovery efforts that followed the storm. ... Read more

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Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States is the first book-length reference that examines the 400-year recorded hurricane history of the region. It offers chronological profiles of significant storms, from Jamestown to the present. Also included are 200 black/white photographs--many appearing in print for the first time--and numerous track maps. Human interest stories, as well as an examination of the patterns, characteristics, quirks and dangers of Mid-Atlantic hurricanes, make this book a must-have for those who live in the region and for anyone interested in United States hurricane history. The book's focus is on Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia, as well as the New York City and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas, but readers from neighboring states will find abundant material. And the many human interest stories have universal appeal! Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States contains a collection of unforgettable encounters--tales gleaned from articles and books, private journals and interviews. It tells of the "big ones"--ferocious storms that will cause a run on "I survived..." t-shirts when they occur again. Events that will forever affect those targeted for the worst. Hurricane patterns recur. Storms similar to those of the past will visit in coming years. Learn lessons from bygone hurricanes and better prepare for what lies ahead. Discovery starts here! (Favorable reviews have appeared in the April 2008 issue of Choice Magazine, the April 2008 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and the May-June 2008 issue of Weatherwise Magazine.) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A bit of a stretch as a cover-to-cover read but a magnificent reference volume.
Over the years any number of books have been written about the devastating hurricanes that have struck coastal New England.Likewise, there are a whole host of books available about the history of hurricanes in the great state of Florida.Yet, when he sought to do some research on the history of hurricanes in the Middle Atlantic states Rick Schwartz discovered to his great consternation that very little had been written about the subject and that no really comprehensive book on this topic had ever been written. So Rick Schwartz decided to correct this glaring oversight himself.After more than six years of painstaking research "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" was released in 2007.This is a book that proves to be well worth your time and attention.
As the complete title would indicate "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States: A Surprising History...From Jamestown To The Present" traces the history of hurricanes in this region from colonial times until the present day.It is a fascinating study.Rick Schwartz conducted more than 100 interviews in putting together this superb book.He also unearthed old newspaper articles, personal letters and state and local government documents in attempting to cobble together the real story. Consequently, there is an interesting narrative on almost all of the storms Rick decided to cover in his book.Schwartz also made a very wise decision by choosing to include track maps on a good many of these hurricanes.This feature greatly enhances the readers understanding of the storms and underscores just how unpredictable they can be.In addition, the inclusion of more than 200 black and white photographs helps readers to gage the full impact of these powerful cyclones and serves to emphasize the need for coastal communities to carefully reconsider public policies that have allowed for reckless overdevelopment on the waterfront.The question is not "if" these areas will be struck by a major hurricane in the future but only "when". Then there is the enormous toll these storms exact on everyday people. For all too many, life will never be the same again. Schwartz devotes considerable time to those who are victimized by hurricanes as well as those public officials who must find new and creative ways to deal with the devastation.High winds, heavy rain, tornadoes and flooding can all combine to wreak havoc for residents in the affected areas.Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to make mention of some of the fascinating local folklore that Rick Schwartz managed to sprinkle in throughout this book.Outstanding stuff!
Every now and then I come across a book like "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" that really seems to be much more appropriate as a reference volume. This is no knock on Rick Schwartz.This book is extremely well written, meticulously researched and thoughtfully laid out. Yet the stories inevitably do tend to become a bit repetitive and I found myself losing just a bit of interest from time to time.This is hardly surprising when one realizes that this book covers more than 300 years of hurricane history!Having said that, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" remains an extremely important addition to the literature on hurricanes in this nation and deserves a spot not only on the shelves of libraries in the Middle Atlantic region but in other parts of the country as well. It is a book that students, researchers and general interest readers will turn to time and again in the decades to come. Highly recommended!

For non-specialist general readers with an interest in hurricanes and climate-changed influences on storm behavior
Researched, compiled and written by hurricane historian Rick Schwartz, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States: A Surprising History, Jamestown To The Present" chronicles four hundred years of the Middle Atlantic region's significant tropical cyclones beginning with the experiences of the Jamestown settlers and continuing down to the present day. A unique and exhaustively researched study, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" features a substantial chronology profiling all of the Mid-Atlantic hurricanes and major storms, examines the patterns and characteristics of the region's tropical cyclones, and provides a sound basis for comparison, planning and preparation with respect to Mid-Atlantic hurricanes. Of special note is a forecasting history chapter offering insights into past progress and current knowledge about predicting hurricanes. Ideal for weather and meteorology students, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" is especially recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in hurricanes and climate-changed influences on storm behavior, frequency, and intensity. Enhanced with an extensive glossary, a bibliography, and a geographically oriented index, as well as track maps and some 200 black-and-white photographs, "Hurricanes And The Middle Atlantic States" is confidently recommended for personal, professional, academic, and community library Weather & Meteorology reference collections.

Hurricanes and the Middle Atlantic States (Author: Rick Schwartz)
Fascinating Book!!! Very informative, interesting facts and interviews. A must read for anyone with any interest at all on this topic.

HURRICANES AND THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES - BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW - "HURRICANES AND THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES"
Author: Richard Schwartz(Hardcover - 400 pages)

This incredible book is a first of its kind - dedicated to the storms that have affected the Mid-Atlantic States through the past 300+ years, from the "Year of the Hurricane in 1667" up through Hurricane Jeanne in September 2004. A great reference for all hurricane enthusiasts the book includes explanations of all commonly used technical terms, references, and internet sources for everyone to use. But mostly it covers all the storms that through this extensive historical period had an affect on the mid-Atlantic States region. And Rick has done this with a definite personal touch, going to great lengths to get a "people- perspective" on what actually happened, what people went through during these storms. And he does his best to educate all of us that we are never "out of the woods" as to the future. We may be in a lull for action right now, but that is definitely temporary, and more storms that form in the future will definitely have more profound affects on the Mid-Atlantic region. Anyone and everyone in the mid-Atlantic area should reach out and get this book to have as a reference and to learn about the great effects these powerful storms have on their local areas. As Rick put it, "An understanding of storms past is vital to preparing for those ahead..."

Great read, Informative and inciteful!
Fron the 1600's to the Present, this is the "go to" book for Hurricane history affecting the eastern coastline. But more than just weather and geographical facts, Rick "The Hurricane Man" Schwartz has conducted many personal interviews to put a human interest face in this well-read timeline of the Hurricanes' impact, and stories of miraculous survival and devastatingly tragic loss. As Mr. Schwartz reminds, "Hurricane history repeats" and "The Year of the Hurricane is coming"! Are we prepared? ... Read more

Product Description
A careful analysis of the workings of the criminal justice system and the role of racism in the infamous Rubin "Hurricane" Carter Case. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Balanced, Detailed Account
This book is the most in-depth examination at the Carter case.Dr. Wice had unprecedented access to original court transcripts and interviewed everyone involved in the courtroom proceedings, including prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys and judges.

A case as divisive as this naturally produces two distinct, mutually-exclusive groups.One side believes that Carter was an entirely innocent man and framed by a racist regime; the other believes that Carter was an unrepentant thug and murderer who was only released because celebrities got involved.

The facts, however, lie somewhere in the middle.Dr. Wice goes the extra distance to carve away the hyperbole and assumptions and examine the court case itself.Readers and reviewers who have already made up their mind about the case will be disappointed that it does not merely feed their expectations.Both sides have displayed a lack of empathy and intellectual honesty over the last thirty years.

The book's larger purpose is to explore the fundamental problems of our adversarial justice system.Because the prosecution and defense are trying to win the case, rather than arrive at the truth, there is a great potential for justice to be sacrificed.

At the book's conclusion, Dr. Wice states that it is impossible to state with complete certainty whether Carter committed these murders.Again, our judicial system is not based on uncovering objective truth, but only in determining whether a person is guilty or not guilty according to the rules of the game.It is Dr. Wice's conclusion that, not only were the rules of the game violated by both sides, but that the game itself is the problem.

Review has detail but little depth
Well, what a disappointment. 95% of this book is a re-telling of the Lafayette Bar murder case. 5% is a surprisingly superficial discussion of the shortcomings of the American judicial system. On the plus side, this is the most detailed, blow-by-blow account of both of the trials and the numerous appeals, the changes in testimony, the key witnesses, the red herrings, and the legal issues raised. But the writing is not good enough to rise above tedium.

To be fair, it would be a challenge to explain the changing testimony, the way the lies and the charges of bribery and corruption keep revolving back on themselves, like a hall of mirrors. Were the police intimidating the defense witnesses, or were Hurricane Carter and his friends intimidating the prosecution witnesses? Was Al Bello's crucial testimony bought by the police with promises of reward money, or was his recantation bought by Carter's friends with promises of a secret bribe?

I'd like to explain what troubles me about this book -- but how to do it without getting bogged down with nit-picks?

Try this quote on for size: "But within the Paterson community, the police, prosecutors and judicial system were united in their commitment to keeping Carter in prison for the rest of his life. To them, he was an abrasive, violent person who might one day catalyze the rage of the city's black community and who thus needed to be silenced -- he was to them an embarrassment and a villain rather than a hero." (204) Wice writes this, and apparently believes it, while at the same time acknowledging that prosecutors believed they had the guilty men (204) and while admitting he doesn't know whether Carter committed the murders or not! (202)

You'd think there would be extensive documentation and close reasoning to support the notion that (a) Carter was an activist and (b) the police were persecuting him because of it. But of course there isn't. While the tone of the book is skeptical of prosecution motives or eyewitness testimony, it accepts without question Rubin Carter's version of events, many of which were recently repeated in an error-filled movie.

The book repeats that young Rubin Carter was assaulted by a pedophile and was sent to juvenile detention for defending himself. The book repeats that Carter was on the verge of being paroled from juvenile detention when a vengeful guard (whom Carter had beaten savagely for a pedophiliac advance on a young inmate) framed him, thus ruining his chances for release. Wice believes Carter's story of how, as a young army recruit, he got into a no-holds-barred fight with his sergeant -- and was not punished. He repeats that a rash remark printed in the Saturday Evening Post led to police harassment and Carter's eventual frame-up for murder.

Well, if you'll believe that, you'll believe..... that when Carter was getting out of prison after serving time for mugging three people, he received offers from boxing managers from all over the world with "promises of rich contracts, up-front money and attractive jobs." And the reason that Carter rejected all those offers in favor of an amateur manager who was a New Jersey prison guard was because.... "he knew (the guard) fairly well." (33)

If, while doing the research for this book, Professor Wice had read the original Saturday Evening Post article, instead of relying on Carter's version in the 16th Round, he would have read a different version of the knifing incident that sent Carter to juvenile detention, and a different version of his escape. Like his alibi for the night of the murders, Carter's story of his juvenile escapades has also changed over time.

The book does list points that are favourable to the prosecution case. It mentions that Carter's alibi fell apart, for example, and even mentions the letter Carter wrote from prison, laying out the false alibi story, but it's clear where the author's sympathies are. I don't understand why, when Carter supporter Carolyn Kelley says Carter beat her savagely, Wice calls this an "alleged" assault, but when Carter says he was beaten by his own father (who is no longer around to defend himself) there is no "alleged" about it.

Here's a hilarious example of the book's bias:

"(After his transfer to Rahway Prison, Carter) was uninterested in participating... (a)lthough Carter had a few minor scrapes with the guards and other inmates, he primarily studied the law and wrote his autobiography. He was cited a dozen times for disciplinary infractions, but most were early in his stay, BEFORE THE STAFF AND OTHER MEN HAD ACCLIMATED THEMSELVES TO CARTER'S RIGID REGIMEN.(my emphasis)(74)

Um, Professor Wice, was the prison system supposed to adapt itself to the star inmate or was the star inmate -- oh, never mind.

Wice says of the prosecution: "they were rarely able to substantiate their conclusions with direct evidence." (67)

The same could be said of Carter's claim that he was a black activist or that he was framed. There is no evidence.And while the case against Carter for triple murder is mostly circumstantial, there is a case to be made -- with direct evidence -- that Carter has not always been truthful about himself. Unfortunately, this book didn't look deeply enough. ... Read more

Product Description
The first monoplane intercepter to enter service with the RAF. As a ground attack aircraft, and under the designation Sea Hurricane it also served at sea. Over 100 photos, 46 detail drawings, 3 pages of scale dwgs, 13 full-color paintings. 50 pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It's good, but could be better.
I have always enjoyed the " In action." series, and the Hurricane in action is not an exception. However, the real strength of this book is the photo's. There are a great many photo's of an unusual nature and showing the Hurricane in many different marks and situations.
Where the book is weakest is in the information. It is not bad, but it feels like the pictures are carrying the book. The info is very 2 dimensional. Especially when compared to other books in the series where the info and pictures compliment each other.
If you want to pick up a In action book this one might not be the best. If you are after info on the Hurricane specificly then you will find elements of this book useful. ... Read more