Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers [Paperback]

Mike Hollingshead (Author), Eric Nguyen (Author), Chuck Doswell (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2008

From surreal skyscapes to wholesale destruction: the most dramatic scenes from the natural world.

The destructive power of nature has always been a source of fear and fascination, and never more so than now, when climate change and extreme weather conditions are constantly in the news. Across the central United States, the infamous storms of Tornado Alley are fueled by the collision of cold fronts from Canada and warm fronts from the Gulf of Mexico. People have been chasing these storms for decades in pursuit of thrilling experiences, but now a new generation of storm chasers is combining scientific knowledge with powerful images.

This book follows Mike Hollingshead and Eric Nguyen on seventeen chases through Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, illustrating the unfolding events with sequential shots and a running commentary by the chasers themselves. These spectacular storm portfolios are expanded with special features on weather phenomena like hail and mammatus clouds plus insights into forecasting and research. 340 color photographs

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Hollingshead has been intrigued by weather since he was a child and is a full-time storm chaser.

Eric Nguyen is a meteorologist who has been chasing storms for twelve years.

Meteorologist and veteran storm chaser Chuck Doswell provides an illuminating, accessible explanation of the science behind the storms.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (April 28, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500287376
• ISBN-13: 978-0500287378
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 9.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #555,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chasing as I know it, March 13, 2008

By 

Amos A. Magliocco (Bloomington, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers (Paperback)

"Mike and Eric seem to have taken the art of storm photography to new heights...they have produced images that speak eloquently about the grandeur and beauty of storms that many people will never see for themselves."

--from the introduction by Dr. Charles A. Doswell III


Full disclosure first: I'm biased because both authors are good friends of mine and my name is mentioned more than once in the text---but I don't make any money from the sales or have any interest other than promoting the book because I think it's an outstanding product.

Mike and Eric are two of the finest weather photographers in the world, and this book is essentially a greatest hits collection from their individual catalogs. Every page contains one stunning image after another, carefully reproduced on heavy, quality stock. The book is organized by chase day or event, with about six individual chases from Mike, four solo chases by Eric, and the rest featuring pictures from both photographers, usually from different angles to give real dramatic range to the imagery. Accompanying the photos is text from both describing their forecast process and tactical decisions they made in the field. Since Mike and Eric have different styles of chasing, this makes for an interesting contrast as well as an entertaining and informative explanation for various shots.

The introduction by tornado scientist and longtime chaser Charles Doswell sets the tone, describing the allure of storm chasing and placing Mike and Eric's work in the context of those who came before them. Toward the end of the book, Dr. Doswell provides an explanation behind the science of severe weather, an easy-to-understand and memorable description of how such sudden mountains of air and water appear on the plains.

What I like most about the book is how it reflects the values of my two friends: the spectacle of atmospheric phenomena. Their vision is focused strictly outward, on the subjects of their photographs, such as the classic supercells of the northern plains or LPs in New Mexico, Mike's breathtaking auroras in winter, or Eric's timeless shots of the Mulvane, Kansas white tornado and rainbow.

Most chasers know that Eric passed away in the summer of 2007. This collection of images is the perfect tribute to his career as a storm observer and photographer, both in form and content. I believe Eric would agree that the book depicts chasing the way many of us know and love it best, as an escape from daily hassles into the theater of the sky, where an awe-inspiring show plays every spring: the severe storms of the Tornado Alley.


"In storm chasing, you have the chance to see a pageant of power and elegant form unfold before your eyes, even in the absence of the ultimate: a tornado. Mike and Eric have captured that over and over in these images."

--Charles Doswell

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing collection of awesome photographs!, April 1, 2008

By 

musical_rach "musical_rach" (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers (Paperback)

I waited a few months to see this book for the first time. I had very high expectations and am normally disappointed when it comes to collections of pictures for storm chasing books. This one not only met, but far exceeded my expectations! The book is of high quality as well. The paper is quite thick as well as the front and back cover. Definitely the most sturdy paperback book I have ever felt. The photographs look great, and are large and even full page photos. The contents are just amazing. Dr. Doswell wrote a great introduction about both authors at the beginning as well as an in depth, but easy to understand explanation of storm structure in the back. This is a must have for anyone who loves storm chasing, is interested in storms, or just likes amazingly beautiful pictures! This book makes a great coffee table book as well as a leisure read. I have never seen pictures of storms the way Eric and Mike have been able to capture them. This work is just truly amazing!! I have nothing bad to say, and cannot say enough. You really will not be disappointed!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic photography, April 7, 2008

By 

Ian Schmidt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers (Paperback)

A fantastic book with consistently great photographs from two of the best lensmen to roam the Plains. Everyone who likes striking high-quality photographs of Nature at her fierce finest will enjoy this book. It includes a nice dictionary of storm chaser terms as well as a brief but informative section on how these amazing storms work. I had high expectations for this book and it met or exceeded every one.