[.ca] The Tornado: Nature's Ultimate Windstorm (ISBN 0806132582)

Ideal quick reference on tornadoes:
From the intorduction, you read that the author's intent with this book was to write a modernized edition of Snowden D. Flora's 1953 book "Tornadoes of the United States" -- which was billed at the time as the first general reference book on tornadoes. In that respect, Tom Grazulis has fully succeeded. "The Tornado" covers all the basics about tornadoes, like the highly complicated (and still enigmatic) process of tornado formation, forecasting, historical aspects of tornadoes -- as well as major tornadic events of the past, safety, climatology/frequncy, international frequency and major events, the Fujita scale, myths (more than you might think), and a pleasingly non-sensational chapter on storm chasing. The text is never too complicated, and even the more technical points are easy to understand. The fact that the book is up-to-date is also a plus, as is the scope of the book's coverage. It's also somewhat more relevant to an American audience than Arjen and Jerrine Verkaik's "Under the Whirlwind," which -- though good, and including some of what this book covers -- was written with a Canadian audience in mind. (In which case Canadian readers are advised to read that book before this.) About the only real minus is that there are limited illustrations, and those in the book are black and white. This text accompanied with more -- and color -- illustrations might have been more useful, although in moderation so as not to draw attention away from the text; at any rate a section of color plates would have been a nice addition. That aside, this is a terrific guide to all things relevant (or even just the stuff you might have thought of once!) to tornadoes.

Great Book on Tornadoes:
I strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in tornadoes and wishing to learn more about the subject. Topics covered include nearly every aspect of tornado development and subsequent evolution, forecasting and warnings, the Fujita scale for rating damage, and tornado risks by geographical region. As a meteorologist, I think he does a great job communicating core scientific concepts to the reader in an easy-to-understand manner, and the chapters "Tornado Myths" and "Tornado Safety" contain valuable information and are must-reads, esp. for those less familiar with severe storms/tornadoes. In short, a good read for anyone interested in tornadoes, and definitely a book you will want to have on your shelf.

Gone with the wind.:
Lets start with the few negatives about this book. Grazulis does use the term, "I" fairly often in this book. This doesn't bother me as much as it does some people. He has to use the first person as he explains what brought about his interest in tornadoes and he has been involved in much of the research he talks about. The only real drawback I can find is that he gets a little too technical for the average reader on occasion. Still, considering the complicated nature of his subject I think he does a fine job of getting his point across and helping someone like me began to understand these killer storms. Grazulis leads us down the path of tornado history making stops along the way to point out interesting facts. The reader is given stories of survival as well as tragedy. We even get a story about the one of the 18th century's most famous scientists chasing on horseback after what may or may not have been a tornado. I can just see Ben Franklin charging down the road in hot pursuit. Grazulis also spends some time trashing some tornado myths and giving some safety tips. There is also a very interesting chapter on tornadoes in other countries. I have even begun to understand what straight line winds and downbursts are because of this book. Best of all the reader will be treated to an inside look at the progress science has made in understanding and predicting tornadoes. The new equipment, the new ideas, and the ever present danger of trying to get too close to a tornado to study it. Science has come a long way since early April, 1974 when forecasters all over the eastern U.S. watched the "Super Outbreak" on surplus World War II radar. No matter if you are a weather junkie or are just in awe of the power of nature I feel sure you will find this to be an interesting read.

Compact but thorough reference on tornadoes:
In 1953, the University of Oklahoma Press launched its biggest seller to date with "Tornadoes of the United States" by Snowden D. Flora. For its era, it was unique -- a thorough, multifaceted but concise (194 pages) treatment of tornadoes, liberally sprinkled with photographs. Tom Grazulis, a friend, colleague in science and fellow tornado enthusiast, has created the same with a modern flavor: the first worthy successor to Flora's tome in 48 years. Strongly reminiscent of Flora's framework, Grazulis effectively blends powerful personal anecdotes from tornado survivors with sharp graphics, summaries of the most recent scientific thinking on tornado development, and short synopses of tornado events through history. Grazulis explains and debunks tornado myths, including safety misconceptions like the suicidal tendency for people to hide beneath bridges in advance of a tornado. This work pays due attention and respect to the immense contributions of Ted Fujita without the undertone of hero worship in the author's previous book, "Significant Tornadoes." The text is quite straightforward -- rightfully so -- about the inconsistencies, varying methods, and flat-out-wrongs in the "official" tornado database -- such as a deadly November 1989 New York downburst (as surveyed by Fujita) which remains on the records as a tornado. Without confusion, Grazulis covers tornado risk in several ways, thanks to his enormous database of significant (deadly and/or F2 or greater) tornadoes. Also, commendably, there is an entire chapter devoted to tornadoes outside the United States, which (from personal communication with author) played a big role in scuttling his original plans to adopt Flora's title for this book as well. The major problem with this work is in its blatantly first-person writing style. While not a fatal flaw, the appearance of the word "I" in hundreds of places lends a striking, if unintended, aura of self-importance detracting from the abundance of solid science behind the information. Why must an author talk about himself so much, unless this is supposed to be an autobiography? Also, many of the photos in "Tornadoes of the United States" were reprinted here, in lieu of many more recent, higher-quality tornado pictures from the 1980s and 90s which better illustrate the concepts written by Grazulis. Without these encumbrances, Grazulis' book gets 5 stars, easily. Still, all severe weather enthusiasts should have a copy at the core of their libraries. It will be stunning if this volume doesn't become OU Press' biggest seller, as did its forebear.

An accessible introduction to the subject:
Persons interested in tornadoes will recognize Tom Grazulis as the Director of the Tornado Project and author of the massive tornado tome "Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991." In this new book, appropriately published by the University of Oklahoma Press, Grazulis discusses the long history of tornadoes in the United States (and, rare for books on the subject, includes a listing of major tornadoes outside the US), covers the process of observation and research that led to today's understanding of these chaotic storms, discusses tornado oddities, tornado safety, and tornado myths (no, that trailer park on the edge of town is not a dangerous tornado attractant). Grazulis is not a particularly stylish writer, but the book is clear and interesting and will serve as a good introduction to both the trail of terror left by these storms and the current state of severe storm research. .... While Grazulis does on occasion refer to himself, it is not excessive and provides his own view of events and personalities in the field. My only disagreement with Grazulis is his soft-pedaling of the state of government funding into severe storm research and warning systems. While he comments mildly that the government just can't fund everything (which of course is true), I would observe that there always seems to be money for congressional porkbarrel, like the mysterious ordering every year of C-130 aircraft that the Air Force didn't want but which were built in a certain well-known former House Speaker's district at the same time that Weather Service offices were being closed and research money drying up. As one who lives in a NEXRAD "hole" (a city that is well below the horizon of the nearest WSR-88D radars and hence in danger of being struck unexpectedly by tornadoes), I tend to object more than mildly to this kind of thing, and Grazulis should as well. If you find this book interesting, check at your local library for a copy of Grazulis' "Significant Tornadoes." It is huge and fascinating.