Home › Bestsellers › Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

by Erik Larson

A storm, a city, and the limits of prediction

Regular price $17.10 USD
Regular price $28.51 USD Sale price $17.10 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Bestseller

    New York Times bestseller

    The metadata identifies the book as a New York Times bestseller.

AlbakiReads Editorial

A storm, a city, and the limits of prediction

Erik Larson reconstructs the 1900 Galveston hurricane through the records of U.S. Weather Bureau meteorologist Isaac Cline, including his telegrams, letters, and reports, alongside testimony from survivors and scientific context on hurricanes. The account brings together a local disaster and the decisions made as warning signs emerged, while tracing the storm’s devastating consequences for Galveston and Cline himself. Its historical focus connects natural disaster, meteorology, and the human costs of misjudgment, grounding a major event in both documentary evidence and one official’s experience.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in U.S. history and the history of Galveston will find a detailed account of the 1900 disaster.
  • Suitable for readers curious about hurricanes, weather observation, and how warning signs were interpreted.
  • A fit for those who value narrative nonfiction built from historical documents and survivor testimony.

Themes

Natural disasterMeteorology and forecastingHistorical accountabilityHuman consequences of catastrophe

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The riveting true story of the Galveston hurricane of 1900, still the deadliest natural disaster in American history--from the acclaimed author of The Devil in the White City

"A gripping account ... fascinating to its core, and all the more compelling for being true." --The New York Times Book Review

September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people--and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devastating personal tragedy.

Using Cline's own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man's heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews