The 1938 Hurricane Along New England's Coast (Images of America) [Paperback]

Joseph Soares (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 14, 2008

The Hurricane of 1938 was one of the most devastating storms to strike New England's Atlantic coast. It forever changed the landscapes of cities and towns in its path. Throughout the hurricane, the Coast Guard worked tirelessly to provide aid to countless displaced residents. Entire communities were leveled by the hurricane's powerful winds and waves. After the storm subsided and the destruction was evident, the enormous task of rebuilding began. The historic images in The 1938 Hurricane along New England's Coast document the hurricane's destruction and the ways in which victims who were uprooted by the storm united to rebuild their communities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joseph P. Soares is a local historian and a member of the Hopkinton and Westerly Historical Societies in Rhode Island. In The 1938 Hurricane along New EnglandÂ?s Coast, his third volume with Arcadia Publishing, he succeeds in highlighting and preserving New EnglandÂ?s dynamic past for future generations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (April 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738557595
• ISBN-13: 978-0738557595
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #539,126 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something New Has Been Added, February 22, 2009

By 

John Galluzzo (Weymouth, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The 1938 Hurricane Along New England's Coast (Images of America) (Paperback)

There has been a flurry of Hurricane of 1938 books published in recent years, most expanding upon the work of Everett S. Allen's classic A Wind to Shake the World. When I saw this title on the shelf, I feared it was just a rehashing of the same stories.

Luckily, the author had a different idea. He, too, knew of the glut on the market, and sought his own angle. The result is a thorough pictorial history of the Coast Guard stations and vessels damaged in the storm, an unexpected but excellent diversion from the same old tales.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A well done book, June 26, 2008

By 

Louis Allyn "hurricane collector" (Mystic, CT USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 1938 Hurricane Along New England's Coast (Images of America) (Paperback)

This book is based upon a "large picture collection of the aftermath of the 1938 hurricane on Coast Guard facilities in New England." It is another fine publication of the Images of America series and contains many pictures which have never before been published.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Photographs from the aftermath of the 'Long Island Express', November 23, 2010

By 

E. A. Lovitt "starmoth" (Gladwin, MI USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The 1938 Hurricane Along New England's Coast (Images of America) (Paperback)

Powerful hurricanes are infrequent visitors to New England, but 'The Long Island Express' not only paid a visit---it dropped in unannounced on September 21, 1938 just as many summer residents were on the beach and closing up their ocean-front cottages.

"The 1938 Hurricane Along New England's Coast" is not a complete treatment of this natural disaster. Its author, Joseph P. Soares "acquired a large picture collection of the aftermath of the 1938 hurricane on Coast Guard facilities in New England" and that's what informs the content of this book. Except for a brief introduction, there is no extended narrative, but each of the photographs is coupled with a short description or story. For example, a photograph labeled "Along the Shore, Stonington" is followed by the paragraph:

"Volunteer workers aiding those along the Stonington shore came across a large packing case on the beach. They opened it and found, to their amazement, a woman inside. She was exhausted and suffering from exposure..."

Note: the photograph doesn't show the woman in the packing case, but a boat that was stranded on shore. Many of the photographs in this book have only a weak connection with the accompanying text.

If you haven't yet read a book about this devastating hurricane and its aftermath, start with Everett S. Allen's A Wind To Shake The World (Allen Reprints). Another treatment worth reading is Sudden Sea: The Great Hurricane of 1938 by R.A. Scotti. I'd go with Allen's book first, because he was an eye-witness, a journalist, and a marvelous writer.