Holding Back the Sea: The Struggle on the Gulf Coast to Save America (Paperback)

by Christopher Hallowell (Author) "Now Jim's dead..." (more)
Key Phrases: New Orleans, New York, Lake Pontchartrain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Katrina's arrival on the Gulf Coast was a long time in coming. But it was assured. Since 1965, when Hurricane Betsy struck New Orleans, breached a levee, and flooded part of the city, everyone was waiting and talking about when the Big One would strike and do even more damage. Katrina was that hurricane, predictedand imagined before she struck, but so much worse in her reality.

Holding Back the Sea is about the consequences of ignoring the warning signs that nature provides and the struggle to convince the rest of the country that South Louisiana lay in the path of destruction. The signs were not subtle; there were Hurricanes Andrew in 1992, George and Mitch in 1998, and Ivan in 2004, among others. At one time or another in their journeys north, they all threatened New Orleans. Some had headed right for the city before veering to the east and west, sparing the Big Easy and reinforcing the nickname. But the Big Easy ended -- at least in reputation -- on August 29, 2005, when the Big One came ashore as Katrina.

About the Author

Christopher Hallowell is a professor of English and journalism at Baruch College, City University of New York. He is the author of People of the Bayou, and coauthor and editor of Listening to Earth and Green Perspectives, and he lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061124249
• ISBN-13: 978-0061124242
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #621,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great wake-up call, January 30, 2006

By	Uptown Remy (LaTex) - See all my reviews

Incredibly relevant at this time. Being from Louisiana, I felt it was important for me to read this. And I recommend this as essential reading for anyone affected by Hurricane Katrina. The chapter specifically about New Orleans was so creepy that I re-read it once I was done. The book is written very matter-of-factly and uses so many agency names and acronyms that it sometimes gets bogged down in itself. But it still reads well, and is so well researched, that this is more than compensation. Would love to read a follow-up.