Storm Chaser: In Pursuit of Untamed Skies [Paperback]

Warren Faidley (Author), Stu Ostro (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1996

While most people avoid dangerous storms, award-winning photojournalist/professional storm-chaser Warren Faidley spends his life intentionally trying to get as close to them as possible. Now, Faidley shares a vivid, personal account of confronting some of the planet's most violent weather. Featuring a Foreword by Stu Ostro, Senior Meteorologist at the Weather Channel, this whirlwind adventure is certain to take the reader by storm. 97 color photos. 4 maps.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Storm Chaser is a marvelous book about the awesome beauty of atmospheric violence, the people who seek it, and the stunning photographs captured of our turbulent atmosphere at its most dramatic.

From Booklist

Converting his obsession into a profession, Faidley makes his living by photographing twisters in Tornado Alley. He makes no pretense to literary musing or meteorologic exactitude: Faidley's manner toward t-cells is strictly veni, vidi, and video if possible. Most chases fail to sight a tornado, the futility of which Faidley's logs compensate for in their description of what--including potentially lethal danger--the entire endeavor entails. This activity is enjoying voguish popularity, either by participation or watching the movie Twister. Some libraries can meet the immediate interest (boosted by advertising on The Weather Channel) by displaying Faidley's collection of 100 dramatic images; those tending to longer-term collection development can fall back on Laskin's more comprehensive Braving the Elements Gilbert Taylor

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Weather Channel (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888763000
• ISBN-13: 978-1888763003
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,286,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE most fantastic book on stormchasing ever written!, February 4, 2000

By 

Mikkel Jacobsen (Aalborg, Denmark, EU) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm Chaser: In Pursuit of Untamed Skies (Paperback)

From the moment you start reading you are bound to continue. Very intense descriptions of chases. This is a MUST for anyone with even the slightest interest in severe weather. I'd rate it the stormchasing book of the century!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 star photography, text a little dated, January 2, 2001

By 

"yoco" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm Chaser: In Pursuit of Untamed Skies (Paperback)

"Strorm Chaser in pursuit of untamed Skies" contains some of the most awesome weather photography you will find anywhere. Lightning, tornadoes cloud formations there all here in incredable photo's.The slightly weaker part of this book is the text (makes for good reading none the less) written mostly in a diary type format that takes you on the chase from warren faidley's earliest days starting as a news photographer to the first attempts at lighting photography to the professional storm chaser. The best reading in the book is the "chase" of hurricane Andrew. Chase is not realy the proper word here it's more like "Lets set up here in this seventh story parking lot and wait" still I found this chapter to be the most adventurest of the book. Interestinly it had the weakest photography in the book, (I'm partial to the lightning and tornado photos).A few points in the book will have you checking the publication date, most noteabley pg 72 "Oklahoma City is located in one of the most potentialy dangerous locations within the (tornado) alley. It has been struck at least 33 times in the past 90 years although NO MAJOR TORNADO HAS STRUCK" (emphass mine) Of couse that all changed forever on May 3rd 1999, when one of the greatest outbreaks of tornados ever stuck the oklahoma city area with dozens of tornados including several F4's and f5's. Still if you ever find yourself channel surfing and realize you spend a lot of time on the weather channel or love to wacth those specials about wild weather on the discovery channel like I do, you will throughly enjoy this book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, March 2, 2001

By 

Kelly Theodor (Slinger, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Storm Chaser: In Pursuit of Untamed Skies (Paperback)

Awesome photography, great stories. A good look at extreme weather from both sides of the camera. He makes you feel like you're right there with him. My hair is still standing on end.

My favorite account turned out to be, not one associated with tornadoes, but with lightning. I've never before had such appreciation for the power of lightning. That's not to diminish the effect of his stories about tornado chasing. They're all exhilarating and humbling.