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Douglas G. Brinkley

The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast Hardcover – Deckle Edge, May 9, 2006

by Douglas Brinkley (Author)

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In the span of five violent hours on August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed major Gulf Coast cities and flattened 150 miles of coastline. Yet those wind-torn hours represented only the first stage of the relentless triple tragedy that Katrina brought to the entire Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Mississippi to Alabama.

First came the hurricane, one of the three strongest ever to make landfall in the United States -- 150-mile-per-hour winds, with gusts measuring more than 180 miles per hour ripping buildings to pieces.

Second, the storm-surge flooding, which submerged a half million homes, creating the largest domestic refugee crisis since the Civil War. Eighty percent of New Orleans was under water, as debris and sewage coursed through the streets, and whole towns in south-eastern Louisiana ceased to exist.

And third, the human tragedy of government mis-management, which proved as cruel as the natural disaster itself. Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, implemented an evacuation plan that favored the rich and healthy. Kathleen Blanco, governor of Louisiana, dithered in the most important aspect of her job: providing leadership in a time of fear and confusion. Michael C. Brown, the FEMA director, seemed more concerned with his sartorial splendor than the specter of death and horror that was taking New Orleans into its grip.

In The Great Deluge, bestselling author Douglas Brinkley, a New Orleans resident and professor of history at Tulane University, rips the story of Katrina apart and relates what the Category 3 hurricane was like from every point of view. The book finds the true heroes -- such as Coast Guard officer Jimmy Duckworth and hurricane jock Tony Zumbado.

Throughout the book, Brinkley lets the Katrina survivors tell their own stories, masterly allowing them to record the nightmare that was Katrina. The Great Deluge investigates the failure of government at every level and breaks important new stories. Packed with interviews and original research, it traces the character flaws, inexperience, and ulterior motives that allowed the Katrina disaster to devastate the Gulf Coast.

Print length

736 pages
Language

English
Publisher

William Morrow
Publication date

May 9, 2006
Dimensions

6 x 1.62 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0061124230
ISBN-13

978-0061124235
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Bestselling historian Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Tulane University, lived through the destruction of Hurricane Katrina with his fellow New Orleans residents, and now in The Great Deluge he has written one of the first complete accounts of that harrowing week, which sorts out the bewildering events of the storm and its aftermath, telling the stories of unsung heroes and incompetent officials alike. Get a sample of his story--and clarify your own memories--by looking through the detailed timeline he has put together of the preparation, the hurricane, and the response to one of the worst disasters in American history.

From Publishers Weekly

Historian Brinkley (Tour of Duty, etc.) opens his detailed examination of the awful events that took place on the Gulf Coast late last summer by describing how a New Orleans animal shelter began evacuating its charges at the first notice of the impending storm. The Louisiana SPCA, Brinkley none too coyly points out, was better prepared for Katrina than the city of New Orleans. It's groups like the SPCA, as well as compassionate citizens who used their own resources to help others, whom Brinkley hails as heroes in his heavy, powerful account"and, unsurprisingly, authorities like Mayor Ray Nagin, Gov. Kathleen Blanco and former FEMA director Michael C. Brown whom he lambastes most fiercely. The book covers August 27 through September 3, 2005, and uses multiple narrative threads, an effect that is disorienting but appropriate for a book chronicling the helter-skelter environment of much of New Orleans once the storm had passed, the levees had been breached, and the city was awash in "toxic gumbo." Naturally outraged at the damage wrought by the storm and worsened by the ill-prepared authorities, Brinkley, a New Orleans resident, is generally levelheaded, even when reporting on Brown's shallow e-mails to friends while "the trapped were dying" or recounting heretofore unreported atrocities, such as looters defecating on property as a mark of empowerment. Photos. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Professor of history and director of the Roosevelt Center at Tulane University, Douglas Brinkley, whose previous efforts include The Boys of Pointe du Hoc and The Majic Bus, brings an historical and personal perspective to bear on one of the first books to detail the Katrina disaster. Some critics point out factual errors and editorial lapses that detract from the author's valuable story, and Diane Jennings writes that Brinkley's book "will be among the earliest, but not among the best, books about the catastrophe." Others praise the author for his passion and the depth of his research and interviews with the individuals whose lives were most affected by the hurricane. The book's value, finally, will be weighed against future accounts of the tragedy, many of which are already in the works.

Review

“‘The Great Deluge,’ captures the human toll of Katrina as graphically as the most vivid newspaper and television accounts” (New York Times Book Review)

“Doug Brinkley’s chronicle of Hurricane Katrina has a keen sense of history and context” (Graydon Carter)

“[A] riveting story” (Cokie Roberts)

“The first historical book that has researched the available record on Katrina and is the closest to actual fact.” (Gov. Kathleen Blanco)

“More dispassionate and analytical books will be written about Katrina, few will capture the human drama as well as Brinkley’s.” (Financial Times)

“An important, poignant and often-infuriating look at the tragedy.” (Denver Post)

“Written with verve and energy, this is Brinkley’s best book to date.” (Times Picayune)

“…likely to be the [account] against which other treatments of the subject will be judged.” (Washington Times)

“An impassioned argument for sustained national interest in the aftermath of a catastrophe.” (The Advocate)

“…likely to be the [account] against which other treatments of the subject will be judged.” (Daily Advertiser)

“You can call “The Great Deluge” history, or you can call it journalism. But it’s good stuff” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

“If you’ve grown numb to the horror of Katrina, this will wake you up. It’s a stirring and important book.” (The Arizona Republic)

About the Author

Douglas Brinkley is the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History at Rice University, a CNN Presidential Historian, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. In the world of public history, he serves on boards, at museums, at colleges, and for historical societies. The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “America’s New Past Master.” The New-York Historical Society has chosen Brinkley as its official U.S. Presidential Historian. His recent book Cronkite won the Sperber Prize, while The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast received the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award. He was awarded a Grammy for Presidential Suite and is the recipient of seven honorary doctorates in American studies. His two-volume, annotated Nixon Tapes recently won the Arthur S. Link–Warren F. Kuehl Prize. He is a member of the Century Association, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children.

www.douglasbrinkley.com

Publisher : William Morrow; First Edition (May 9, 2006)
Language : English
Hardcover : 736 pages
ISBN-10 : 0061124230
ISBN-13 : 978-0061124235
Item Weight : 2.64 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.62 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #453,265 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #285 in Atmospheric Sciences (Books)
- #325 in Natural Disasters (Books)
- #362 in Weather (Books)

Customer Reviews:
286 ratings

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Quarter Rat

So much meat I need to read it again

Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2020

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I really enjoyed the book - as much as you can enjoy an accurate description about death, corrupt leaders and destruction of my beloved home city. I was still active duty the week katrina hit. I was going through the whole retirement process in memphis. Probably a good thing. I was able to help my family members that had lost everything. Including their precious pets that they weren't allowed to bring on the helicopter. Now I live in the french quarter and if a katrina happened I would be fine. The last chapter was particularly haunting. My dad was born at the old charity hospital and named after his doctor, my grandfather spent about a month there in traction after a horrible pile up on the I10. My question to the staff that evacuated (yes they were heroes but...) did they forget to tell someone something!??

5 people found this helpful

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Bernard B. Vinoski Jr.

History repeats itself.....

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

The author presents a fair and balanced perspective of this historic natural disaster from a nonpartisan position.
Several self evident truths are revealed in this treatise.
1.) Prepare for the worst and strive for the best In all you pursue in life.
2.) Never expect the government to “rescue you”, have a plan.
3.) Elected officials at any level of government will pursue partisan political gains over preservation of human life and common sense governing regardless of party affiliation.
4.) The populace does not learn from mistakes and chronically repeats the same mistakes( Marion Barry, Ray Nagin)
5.) Cronyism is rampant at all levels of governance and will not change until elected officials are held accountable.
6.) Living below sea level has inherent risks which include loss of life and limb...
Sadly, no epiphanies in this one...A good read nonetheless.

5 people found this helpful

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Peter P. Smith

The Great Deluge is an absolute tour de-force

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2016

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The Great Deluge is an absolute tour de-force on one of the most shameful episodes in modern American history. I was reluctant to buy the book worried that (having been written by a history professor) it might not have the narrative flow to bring the various events and stories to life. I need not have worried, as Brinkley's writing style would do justice to Erik Larson and, on occasions, reminded me of Larson's own Isaac's Storm. This book should be required reading in our schools and in State and local government. It speaks to the power of Mother Nature, the incompetence of the administration in Washington DC (especially, Chertof at Homeland Security and Michael Brown at FEMA) and Mayor Nagin in New Orleans. It also tells the heroic stories of courage and survival by ordinary citizens, both from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast - and of those who came to the region to lend their help. Peter Smith

14 people found this helpful

Helpful

Martha A. Murray

Inside Look at Hurricane Katrina and the Players

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2012

Verified Purchase

I'm a survivor of the hell of the Dome and I wrote "Left to Die-A first-hand account of life in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina." After seven years of nightmares, I'm finally able to read accounts of the events without becoming an emotional wreck. It was with enthusiasm that I read "The Great Deluge."

I was surprised to find for the most part an accurate rendering of the facts. It did gloss over some events but that is expected due to formatting restraints.

I liked the fact that it chronicled the whole Gulf Coast and not just New Orleans. The way the author explains each vignette is great for the reader unfamiliar with New Orleans, its politics or quirky ways. The main players were people I knew and Mr. Brinkley accurately portrays them.

You hardly ever hear about the people with a plan. And it is rarer if they use it. The coastal smaller parishes got it and prepared for the Big One. Likewise heroes are seldom acknowledged. Big or small the writer took time to point out some of these unsung champions.

The book is well written but does ramble at times. The author flip-flops back and forth on the timeline. The photos were good but were poorly placed. Still it is a book worth reading.

I agree with Bishop Paul Morton... Nagin is "A white man in black skin." His aspirations were to rise up the political ladder. When he told Bush we were all evacuated, he left us to die. I'm surprised he was never called to account for his lack of planning and action.

So for an accurate account of those horrible days up and down the Gulf Coast, this is the book for you.

25 people found this helpful

Helpful

a New Yorker

Grew tedious

Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018

Verified Purchase

Perhaps it’s because my parents lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Katrina - but had evacuated to Jackson, MS before the hurricane hit - or perhaps it’s because of my long history with the city of New Orleans, but by the time I read this book, Katrina and all her related circumstances were firmly seared into my memory. I do admit I didn’t know (or remember) how woefully unprepared New Orleans and the surrounding areas were for the event; nor did I know of the hundreds of angels who worked tirelessly to save people. But I have to say that after a while, the story-after-story narrative grew tiresome. I mean no disrespect to the book itself, just that it is told dispassionately and somehow I wanted more from it. I guess this points to the fact that this is a history book, not an opinion piece. If you want the former, you’ll be satisfied. If you want the latter, you won’t be.

The bottom line though is how do you write words that tell the story of Katrina? Words fail. Only emotion works.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Eastham E.

Courage and indifference

Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is a concise compendium of what did and sadly did not happen before, during, and after the event. It clearly points out those dedicated individuals as well as those who in authority turned their backs on or were indifferent to the tragedy. Putting people in charge of preparedness who were clearly out of their depth and electing politically stylish individuals who cowered when they should have led. Those mayors, individuals, the police who did their job, and the Coast Guard are due a huge debt of gratitude.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

stephen trodden

Shocking insight to the Bush administrations workings.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 18, 2013

Verified Purchase

Excellent description of the events linked to the unfolding catastrophe of hurricane katrina. The research and detail is very good, but the story is a frightening one of ineptitude of the Bush administration and the fact that the people of New Orleans were treated in such a despicable way is horrendous.
Nevertheless Brinkley does a good job of keeping your attention all the way through as the drama unfolds.
Must be worth a follow-up book on where the town stands now and what happened to all those poor people who had to suffer through no fault of their own.
A must read, and lets hope lessons have been learnt to prevent it happening again with the next natural disaster.

2 people found this helpful

victoria

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2018

Verified Purchase

Great, thank you!

HLPAF

Impressive

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

A detailed, engrossing, harrowing account of a momentous week in American history, which pulls no punches assigning blame for the moumental balls-up which followed the hurricane and the inevitable, preventable, catastrophic flooding. Highly recommended.

One person found this helpful

John Rogers

excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

excellent

emmacee

Fantastic and horrifying read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 10, 2017

Verified Purchase

The most terrifying book I have ever read.

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