Disaster Books

[Patrick Murtha]

I like non-fiction disaster / calamity books. Although they do share a common pattern, they always seem to absorb me completely. I tend to approach and read everything as a species of novel, and of course with disaster books, that is particularly easy.

For example, Denise Gess’s and William Luz’s Firestorm at Peshtigo. The Peshtigo fire in Northeast Wisconsin occurred simultaneously with the Great Chicago Fire and stemmed from the same weather conditions, but was far more deadly.

When I was a commercial real estate broker in Northeast Wisconsin, Peshtigo was part of my territory, so I know this turf well.

 

[Stevie B]

I like non-fiction disaster / calamity books.

Since you have a fondness for non-fiction disaster books, I'd suggest the following 2021 release:

 

[Patrick Murtha]

^ Well, you have a point there… ?

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Here are other disaster books that I have read fairly recently. I am aware that with some of these posts, I am pushing the boundaries of what would be considered “literature” here at the WLF, so feel free to ignore. But I am an expansionist, and for me, books are books; any book that sounds interesting might make a claim on my time. I suppose my reading time splits something like this: 35% literary fiction, 15% genre fiction, 10% poetry and drama, 40% non-fiction.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850
David G. Brown, White Hurricane: A Great Lakes November Gale and America’s Deadliest Maritime Disaster
Michael Capuzzo, Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916
Randall Gabrielan, Explosion at Morgan: The World War I Middlesex Munitions Disaster
Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm (bestseller that deserved its success)
Norman Maclean, Young Fire and Fire (a non-fiction masterpiece)
Stewart O’Nan, The Circus Fire (quite an incredible book, about the Hartford circus fire of 1944)
Alwyn Scarth, La Catastrophe: The Eruption of Mount Pelée, the Worst Volcanic Disaster of the 20th Century
Michael Schumacher, Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Simon Winchester, Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Let me add that when Michael Orthofer of The Complete Review / The Literary Saloon fulminates against non-fiction in general, or biography specifically, I simply do not get it. I exchange emails with Michael; I think he does incredible service to literature. But he rides his pet peeves REALLY hard (“Dreaded PDF format!”, hates trade paperbacks, etc).

 

[Stevie B]

Here are other disaster books that I have read fairly recently. I am aware that with some of these posts, I am pushing the boundaries of what would be considered “literature” here at the WLF, so feel free to ignore. But I am an expansionist, and for me, books are books; any book that sounds interesting might make a claim on my time. I suppose my reading time splits something like this: 35% literary fiction, 15% genre fiction, 10% poetry and drama, 40% non-fiction.

Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845-1850
David G. Brown, White Hurricane: A Great Lakes November Gale and America’s Deadliest Maritime Disaster
Michael Capuzzo, Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916
Randall Gabrielan, Explosion at Morgan: The World War I Middlesex Munitions Disaster
Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm (bestseller that deserved its success)
Norman Maclean, Young Fire and Fire (a non-fiction masterpiece)
Stewart O’Nan, The Circus Fire (quite an incredible book, about the Hartford circus fire of 1944)
Alwyn Scarth, La Catastrophe: The Eruption of Mount Pelée, the Worst Volcanic Disaster of the 20th Century
Michael Schumacher, Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Simon Winchester, Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded

How about Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer? Krakauer is a journalist (and climber) who went to Everest to write a magazine piece on how climbers had shifted from those who had the skills/experience to summit Everest to those who had the money to make an attempt. That season, a combination of bad weather and too many inexperienced climbers near the summit resulted in the highest death toll ever on Everest.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Haven’t read that one yet, although I saw the feature film of those events, Everest, which wasn’t bad. (Any film that casts Jason Clarke as the lead is already halfway home.) I have read Krakauer’s Into the Wild, which is amazing.

Mountaineering, like space travel, is something that fascinates me from the proper distance; I would never DO it. Walt Unsworth’s Everest: A Mountaineering History (1981) is a great account up to its date of publication

 

[Stevie B]

^I was fascinated by Into the Wild. I thought Krakauer's mountaineering tangent in the book was less successful, but it helped me understand his admiration for Chris McCandless when others described the adventurer as foolish and naive. By the way, did you see a year or so ago that a helicopter carried away the abandoned bus made famous by the McCandless story? I'm not sure where it was brought, but I believe the motivation for moving it was that too many people needed to be rescued while trekking to the landmark. For what it's worth, I was disappointed in the Into Thin Air film, but I thought Sean Penn did an amazing job directing Into the Wild.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

I haven’t seen the film of Into the Wild, but would like to. I can’t quite make my mind up if Chris McCandless was an inspiring figure or an unprepared fool, but lean towards the latter.

Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man is an intense documentary about a rather similar tragic Alaska-based dreamer, Timothy Treadwell. Me, I get scared even THINKING about Alaska. ?

Not surprised that the bus was removed. I knew it had become a pilgrimage destination.

 

[Bartleby]

I've been meaning to read two such books, one is Storm, by George R. Stewart , the other Ghosts Of The Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone, by Richard Lloyd Parry. The former was recently republished by NYRB, the latter won the 2018 Folio prize.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

I've been meaning to read two such books, one is Storm, by George R. Stewart , the other Ghosts Of The Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone, by Richard Lloyd Parry. The former was recently republished by NYRB, the latter won the 2018 Folio prize.

George R. Stewart! I feel embarrassed not to have yet undertaken his novels with inanimate protagonists - Storm, Fire, Sheep Rock. Very original in approach, I think.

As a pandemic novel, maybe Earth Abides has come in for more attention lately? I’m not sure.

I have read Stewart’s Ordeal by Hunger, a compelling non-fiction account of the Donner Party.

Ghosts of the Tsunami has been on my list for a while.

 

[Stevie B]

I can’t quite make my mind up if Chris McCandless was an inspiring figure or an unprepared fool, but lean towards the latter.

I find a middle ground between the two. I admire that he was living out his convictions, but I also realize he was overly idealistic and ill-prepared. I sympathize with him because he was a good person who was raised in an unstable home. His story is a real-life, coming-of-age tale. Unfortunately, by the time he gained understanding and demonstrated emotional growth, he couldn't recover from his situation. By the way, I also empathize with his father, who some view as the main antagonist. There mustn't be a worse feeling in the world than knowing one has contributed to the death of one's own child.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Just ordered that NYRB edition of Stewart’s Storm on Ebay, good price.

 

[kpjayan]

How about Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer? Krakauer is a journalist (and climber) who went to Everest to write a magazine piece on how climbers had shifted from those who had the skills/experience to summit Everest to those who had the money to make an attempt. That season, a combination of bad weather and too many inexperienced climbers near the summit resulted in the highest death toll ever on Everest.

That reminds me.. I have that book with me for 2 decade, I guess. I might get to it soon..

 

[kpjayan]

Do you want to talk about Svetlana Alexievich's book of Chernobyl ?

 

[Stevie B]

That reminds me.. I have that book with me for 2 decaded, I guess. I might get to it soon..

That would be an interesting way to create a new reading queue - make a stack of books that have been sitting unread on one's bookshelf the longest. The first in my pile, at 30+ years of neglect, would likely be The Furys by James Hanley. Not sure why I've never gotten to that one.

 

[Stevie B]

That reminds me.. I have that book with me for 2 decaded, I guess. I might get to it soon..

It's not a short book, but you'd breeze right through it. Krakauer has an engaging writing style.

 

[Patrick Murtha]

Do you want to talk about Svetlana Alexievich's book of Chernobyl ?

I have not read it yet, but feel free!

 

[Patrick Murtha]

That would be an interesting way to create a new reading queue - make a stack of books that have been sitting unread on one's bookshelf the longest. The first in my pile, at 30+ years of neglect, would likely be The Furys by James Hanley. Not sure why I've never gotten to that one.

Hanley is a compelling writer. His novel The Ocean is the only book I can think of that I stayed up till dawn to finish.

 

[Stevie B]

Hanley is a compelling writer. His novel The Ocean is the only book I can think of that I stayed up till dawn to finish.

Despite your compelling comment, I'm resisting the urge to get a copy of The Ocean, and will first read the Hanley book I've owned for 30 years. We'll see how long that resolve lasts.