Customer Reviews

Weathering the Storm: Tornadoes, Television, and Turmoil

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's obvious this guy is a weatherman, not a professional writer being paid to turn an ordinary life into something that sells books. The book isn't weighed down with lots of pretty words or meteorology lessons. It's simply written as a story of Gary England's life, and what a life that has been! As a young girl I was always fascinated by tornadoes, and at one point seriously considered being a meteorologist. After reading England's book I'm convinced I couldn't have handled the politics and pressure. I hated turning each page because it only brought me closer to the end of the book. I'm sure Gary has lots more stories to tell, and I hope he writes many more books to tell them! I'll gobble them all up.

One of the neatest things about reading this book is that now when I see Gary England on TV clips saying those now-famous words during the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma City Tornado, "You NEED to be underground to survive this one!" I look at him with a knowledge of his life story and how he got to be where he is, and I'm filled with such respect. Thank you, Gary, for suffering through petty politics to be able to save so many lives.

Contrary to what some other reviews say, this book is not just full of sensation. I live in Oklahoma, I have seen England work, this stuff is real and his book is accurate. The book is informative and very interesting. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read!

After reading this book, I felt that I was no longer alone in dealings with news directors. I have only been in television weather for 6 years and have had my fill of television business. My hats off to Gary for being able to stave off over a dozen new directors. This book is a must read for anyone wanting to venture into the "glamorous" life of television news, especially any aspiring meteorologist.

Funny and fascinating. What an incredbile life!

A facinating story about one of the pioneers in tornado forecasting. The name Gary England is almost legendary on the Southern Plains. I have had the oppurtunity to meet him, and he is a really nice guy. There are also many color slides of tornadoes in the book.

As a youngster growing up in Seiling, Oklahoma, Gary England had an idol in television meteorologist Harry Volkman. Flash forward 40 years. As a youngster growing up in Oklahoma City, I had an idol in Gary England. This is the first time I have known the entire story of what England has gone through in his 20+ years at KWTV. I have met with and talked to England on several occasions, and I will never know how he keeps his sanity while weathering 2 storms...the weather itself, and the world of television news.

I have not read the book as yet but I would like the opportunity to relate how Mr. England's reputation is in Oklahoma. I worked in the railroad industry for 15 years in Oklahoma which is greatly affected by weather extremes. Our supervisors used to tell us to watch Gary England for weather updates as his was the best in the state. Mr. England never failed us.