THE STORM OF THE CENTURY Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster: The Great Gulf Hurricane of 1900

Narrator Byron Wagner's unrelenting tone is unnerving as he opens Al Roker's account of the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. Immediately, listeners find themselves in the mind of a man who's struggling not to drown. As it turns out, he's a weatherman who failed to predict the catastrophic event that may kill him. Wagner's voice relaxes as Roker then goes back to the days leading up to the hurricane, capturing the everyday rhythms of Galveston life, even as he introduces ominous signs. When the storm hits, Wagner gut-wrenchingly describes the experiences of being in a house that is collapsing and not knowing whether loved ones are still alive. Listeners will be fascinated, even as they shudder at the grim reality of a death toll that topped 10,000. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2015]