Great Disasters

by Kaari Ward

79 natural catastrophes from the demise of the dinosaurs to the recent earthquake in Armenia are covered in fascinating detail, with an emphasis on human drama. This book details Mother Nature at her most awesome--human nature at its most courageous. 350 illustrations, including original art and maps.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference, Own

320 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1989

Reviews

[Jennifer Daniel]

Some fascinating little gems in this collection of disaterous events. My fave had to have been the NY blizzard of 1888. The entire town was shut down under several feet of still falling snow and 90 mile an hour wind. A young Teddy Roosevelt walked 3 blocks in it taking several hours for an appointment that of course didn't show. Teddy shot off the snippy note, "I presume the snow kept you." Bully! I love that man.

[Aaron]

This was an odd find on someone's bookshelf. These descriptions of real (and common) natural disasters, and the scale of human tragedy, are sobering and morbidly fascinating. Serves as a stark reminder that humans can only thrive in a narrow range of environmental conditions that don't always exist on this planet.

[Sheila Myers]

An interesting read for anyone interested in nature and natural disasters. There are many stories that were familiar too me, but there are also quite a few I've never heard about before reading this book. I also enjoyed how the editors added little boxes containing information about the science behind the disasters as well as explanations about equipment used to monitor earthquakes, storms, etc.

[Sonia]

A strong read, and one that gave me the satisfaction I want when I pick up something in this vein. The conflict elements give it weight, and I appreciated that it does not treat danger, strategy, or survival as neat decorative extras. Kaari Ward gives it enough control and personality that it feels like more than just a premise on a page. The pacing, mood, and central ideas all came together well enough that I was happy to keep turning pages. It had the right mix of substance and entertainment, which is always the sweet spot for me. Five stars because I finished it feeling satisfied rather than merely done.

[Michael]

Nature can produce extreme violence. This book covers disasters since the dawn of time. I could only read this book a little at a time. It covers floods, ice age, plagues, famine, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis, hurricanes, pestlence, snow, tornadoes, volcano eruptions and some man made disasters. Millions have died from these disasters.

[Bill Holmes]

This book is a readable survey of both human-caused and natural disasters that I read way back in 1996. It's a bit dated by now (there won't be any mention of September 11, the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 or the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011), but still a useful introduction to a sobering subject.

[Rachael]

My mum had this book in her bookshelf when I was a kid, and I read it cover to cover at least a dozen times!

[Matthew Barlow]

Have always loved this book. Never get tired of it.