I read "A Weekend in September" after finishing "Isaac's Storm", in order to learn more about the hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas almost exactly 100 years ago. John Edward Weems' book was first published in 1957 and was reissued for the seventh time in 1999. He was able to interview many of the survivors of the Galveston hurricane, and one of the differences between his book and "Isaac's Storm" (which was published over 40 years later) is that Weems tells his story from many more points of view.

Erik Larson, author of "Isaac's Storm" writes a more in-depth narrative about fewer survivors.

Another difference 40 years has made, is that Larson is able to go into much more detail about the origin of the hurricane and the science behind the forces that made it so devastating. He spends much more time describing the days before the hurricane hit Galveston, and Weems spends more time describing the aftermath of the storm and how the survivors recovered and rebuilt.

Both books are compelling accounts of this country's worst natural disaster. You should read both of them, especially if you happen to be in Galveston on the hundredth anniversary of the Great Storm...and another hurricane is rolling through the Gulf.

In hurricane terms, this book would be a category 5, catastrophic damage to any idea that hurricanes are not potentially deadly. This was an amazing account of the 1900 hurricane that slammed into Galveston, causing unimaginable death and destruction. This book came to my attention after reading Isaac's Storm, a book about the same hurricane. While that book was very good, this was even better. The author interviewed survivors of this storm, and the stories are amazingly frank and clear. When told through the eyes of so many survivors the book takes on a life of it's own. While it does document an event, it never dry or dull. It brings the power of a hurricane to reality and helps the reader to realize that this power is not something that man can control. To realize that predicting the weather has made such a giant leap forward from 1900 may lead people to be complacent in the face of a hurricane,but read this and you will never feel that way again. The descriptions of the sounds and the level of noise were vivid and made me clearly remember the category three hurricane I went through with my family a few years ago. This should be required reading for anyone who lives along the coast, and even inland where hurricane damage can still be catastrophic. Mother Nature deserves respect, and if you don't give it to her.......well.......read the book!!

This book is more of a story that a documentary. It is the best book on the Galveston 1900 Storm. It could easily be made into a movie more interesting than Titanic because the love story was real. Why no film writer hasn't capitalized on this story, especially this year, is stupidity. Read this before Issac's Storm.

I bought this bookin hope it had some fascinating pictures,I was dissapointed in that aspect, but it had some of the best info about tornadoes i have ever seen!!!!!! bottom line its a good book if you're into tornadoes!!!

If you haven't read this book you don't know what a best seller is about. It was pure fact, electric and mesmerizing. I couldn't put it down. The author interviewed the survivors first hand. Not some fictional made-for-TV slop.

This book is a must have for anybody interested in tornadoes. It tells in detail about the lives that were forever changed when a massive tornado ripped through Waco Texas in 1953. This is one of the few times a tornado has hit a downtown area head on. This may happen again, especially with the huge population growth. It is also rumored to be the theme of the sequel to the Twister ! movie.

Although written in 1957, This book gives a factual account relating to the loss of the Maine, America's first battleship. Good historical background account that a recent National Geographic article used for background information. The controversy rages on today. Was she mined, or was it an internal explosion due to a design defect in the Maine class battleships. The only thing I would like to see added is Admiral Hymen Rickovers account, written in 1976,which he "proves" and contends, that it was an internal explosian that sent the Maine down in Havana harbor. The incident that started the Spanish-American war and made the U.S. into a world power is well worth reading.