A Weekend in September - Softcover

Weems, John Edward

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0890963908 ISBN 13: 9780890963906

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 1988

Synopsis

The hurricane that swept Galveston Island early in September, 1900, occupies a unique place in the reckoning of events of the Texas Gulf coast. Nearly a century after its passing, the storm remains the standard against which the ferocity and destructiveness of all others are measured. Twothirds of Galveston's buildings were washed away at a cost that was never fully calculated. More than 6,000 people were killed. And in the collective memory of a region where depredations by wind and water are accepted as part of life, the weekend of September 8, 1900, is the ultimate example of the terror and violence a hurricane can bring.

John Edward Weems's account of the Galveston hurricane was written more than six decades ago, when many of the survivors were still living and available for interviews. This book is based on numerous conversations and correspondence with these survivors as well as a careful examination of contemporary documents and news reports. In direct, economical prose Weems recreates that fateful weekend as experienced by those who actually were there. The result is a narrative that develops a pace and force as irresistible as the hurricane that inspired it, and a work that is a model of historical reportage.
 

About this title

About the Author

John Edward Weems wrote several books on Texas and American history, including To Conquer a Peace: The War Between the United States and Mexico,and The Tornado, published by Texas A&M University Press

Edition details

• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
• Publication date: 1988
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0890963908
• ISBN 13: 9780890963906
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192