Tornado [Hardcover]

Polk Laffoon IV (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1975

The killer tornado that blasted Xenia, Ohio, in April, 1974.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 244 pages
• Publisher: Harper & Row; 1st edition (1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006012489X
• ISBN-13: 978-0060124892
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,982,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A Surface Account..., April 9, 2011

By 

A Positive Guy "Jay" (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tornado (Hardcover)

of the tragic weather event of April 3, 1974. Although other towns were certainly affected, Xenia, Ohio, was the hardest hit. Polk Lafoon does a better than fair job of presenting the facts about the storm. Where he misses the mark, in my opinion, is in not devoting more time and attention to the many human interest stories that show the incredible spirit and courage of the people in Xenia.

The book is flat and dry in many places and most of the attention is given to the political posturing and governmental involvement post-impact. I also believe that the author fails to do justice to the many, many wonderful people who basically had their lives ripped apart and forever altered by the monster storm. In talking with many survivors, I am consistently amazed at the sense of community and compassion exhibited by the citizens of Xenia.

I would have liked to have seen more 'first-hand accounts' of those affected. The victims are given a few passing paragraphs, while pages are devoted to city restructuring and zoning changes. All in all, the book could have given a more 'human' face to Xenia if the author had not written from the perspective of a newspaper writer. The spirit of the city and the people seemed to have been lost in pages of dry facts.

That being said, the book still has a good deal of information and is worth reading. It just could have been so much better.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Full of Information about the Xenia Tornado, But . . ., April 23, 2005

By 

Gail Starkweather "Gail" (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tornado

As a survivor of this Tornado, I feel compelled to review this book. I began reading with much anticipation after accumulating a somewhat large collection of material about the tornado and the reconstruction. Like many other publications, Mr. Laffoon all but ignores the Pinecrest neighborhood and surrounding houses, including those on Marshall Rd. located behind the completely destroyed High School. These were the last neighborhoods/houses hit before continuing on to Wilborforce and Central State Universities. My house and many others were unsalvagable. Mr. Laffoon's rare mentions of my neighborhood concern the so-called racist response to our two new neighbors, teachers and officials of Central State University and their families. I heartily disagree with this OPINION of Mr. Laffoon's. My Mother and we two girls went over to the Dean of Students' house with baked goods and welcomed them to the neighborhood. Both my brother and my sister were friends with age-mates of the other family who moved there. I am sure we weren't the only friendly people in the neighborhood. While it is slightly understandable that publications somewhat ignored my neighborhood and the surrounding area, as the devastation wasn't as complete as the Arrowhead neighborhoods - This finger-pointing about my neighborhood is uncalled for and not factual.