Galveston and the 1900 Storm

Rating:
Summary: Very interesting, but lacking
Review: Authors Patricia Bixel and Elizabeth Turner have written a long awaited account of the 1900 Storm detailing its long-term effects on Galveston.

The photographs, from a variety of sources, are wonderful in conveying to the reader the magnitude of this disaster. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of the story from the actual events during the hurricane and the aftermath and recovery to how Galveston protected the city. I give the book three stars based on the photographs and amount of detail they put into the writing.

Much attention is paid to the role of women and the African American during this time, with some statements and theories that have not been seen in other accounts. It is necessary to check their sources to compare those accounts with others.

Unfortunately, they failed to include any endnotes detailing their obviously extensive research. Instead, as the authors say, "Because this work was written for a more popular, general audience, it lacks the full scholarly apparatus of footnotes, endnotes or bibliography." This is a great disservice to the reader as I found myself wanting to know where some of the information came from. This is my reason for saying the book is lacking.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but lacking
Review: Authors Patricia Bixel and Elizabeth Turner have written an account of the 1900 Storm detailing its long-term effects on Galveston.

The photographs, from a variety of sources, are wonderful in conveying to the reader the magnitude of this disaster. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of the story from the actual events during the hurricane and the aftermath to how Galveston recovered and protected herself from future storms. I give the book three stars based on the photographs and amount of detail they put into the writing.

But the book, written by authors with PhDs, reads more like a scholarly account, rather than the politically correct coffee table book it appears to be. Much attention is paid to the changing role of women and African-Americans during the time, with some statements and theories offered that have not been seen in other accounts. It is necessary to check their sources to compare those accounts with others.

Unfortunately, they failed to include any endnotes guiding the reader through their extensive research. Instead, as the authors write, "Because this work was written for a more popular, general audience, it lacks the full scholarly apparatus of footnotes, endnotes or bibliography." This is a great disservice to the reader as I found myself wanting to know where some of the information came from. This is my reason for saying the book is lacking.