Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America's Hurricanes

Hurricanes are powerful storms that menace North America from June through November, and they will likely become more intense as the planet continues to warm. Best-selling historian Eric Jay Dolin's book A Furious Sky explores our encounters with hurricanes, from the nameless storms that threatened Columbus's New World voyages to the destruction wrought in Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria. Dolin draws on a vast array of sources to show how these tempests frequently helped determine the nation's course, such as preventing Spain from expanding its holdings in North America and shifting the tide of the American Revolution against the British. Despite centuries of study and technological prowess, there are still limits on our ability to predict exactly when and where hurricanes will strike, and we remain vulnerable to the greatest storms on earth.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 432 pages
Publication date: 02 July 2021
Publisher: WW Norton & Co

From June through November, hurricanes relentlessly threaten North America, unleashing devastation akin to 10,000 nuclear bombs. These colossal storms, fueled by global warming, are poised to intensify, yet we often treat them as mere local calamities or mere spectacles on television. As renowned historian Eric Jay Dolin argues, delving into our nation's past is crucial to understanding the ramifications of future hurricanes.

In A Furious Sky, Dolin presents a captivating and comprehensive narrative of our encounters with hurricanes, spanning from the anonymous storms that threatened Columbus' New World voyages to the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Through his vivid storytelling, Dolin weaves a tapestry of shipwrecks, ruined cities, heroism, and folly, introducing a diverse cast of unlikely heroes, including Benito Vines, a nineteenth-century Jesuit priest whose innovative methods for predicting hurricanes saved countless lives and placed us at the center of some of the most catastrophic storms in history. Among them, the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 stands as the most devastating, claiming the lives of at least 6,000 people, making it the highest toll of any natural disaster in American history.

Dolin employs a vast array of sources to seamlessly blend American history, as commonly narrated, with the history of hurricanes, revealing how these tempests have frequently shaped the nation's destiny. Hurricanes, for instance, impeded Spain's expansion into North America beyond Florida in the late 1500s, and they played a pivotal role in tipping the scales of the American Revolution against the British in the final stages of the conflict. As Dolin traverses centuries, following the rise of the United States amidst the chaos caused by hurricanes, he traces the corresponding development of hurricane science and technology.

In conclusion, A Furious Sky is a vital and indispensable work that sheds light on the devastating impact of hurricanes on our world. By delving into our nation's past and exploring the intricate relationship between hurricanes and American history, Dolin provides us with a deeper understanding of the challenges we face in the present and the opportunities we have for resilience and adaptation in the future. As we navigate the increasingly uncertain climate, this book serves as a timely reminder of the importance of preparedness, cooperation, and empathy in the face of natural disasters.

Weight: 362g
Dimension: 140 x 209 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781631499067