The Big One: The Earthquake that Rocked Early America and Helped Create a Science

by Jake Page, Charles Officer

The author investigates a geological catastrophe story--the series of massive earthquakes, centered in what is now Missouri and Arkansas, at the start of the 1800s that wreaked almost unimaginable destruction on the American frontier--and speculates about the likelihood of a repeat performance.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Science, Geology, American History, Earth Sciences

239 pages, Hardcover

First published June 17, 2004

About the author

Jake Page was a celebrated editor, science writer, and novelist who made complex topics accessible through wit and clarity. Though he never studied science formally, his role editing Natural History Books at Doubleday sparked a lifelong passion for explaining science to general readers. As science editor and columnist at Smithsonian magazine, he wrote with elegance and humor on a wide range of subjects, from aspirin to Zane Grey. Page authored dozens of books, including works on birds, earthquakes, and Native American history. His fascination with the American Southwest led to a mystery series featuring a blind sculptor-detective. Collaborating with his wife, photographer Susanne Anderson, he produced detailed cultural studies like Hopi and Navajo. His major nonfiction achievement, In the Hands of the Great Spirit, traces 20,000 years of American Indian history. Whether exploring anthropology or writing fiction, Page championed curiosity, clarity, and the belief that science was too important to remain only in expert hands.

Reviews

[Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book didn't grab me like I thought a book about the New Madrid earthquakes would, given that I grew up not that far from the quake zone. The most interesting parts of the book had nothing to do with New Madrid, and the flow between topics was kind of chaotic. Overall it lacked focus, in my opinion, and so I wouldn't recommend it very highly.

[Monica Caldicott]

When you hear that an earthquake has just happened, where are the places you first think of? Japan, California, etc.

Would you think of Louisville, Kentucky? New Madrid, Missouri? Little Prairie? 

Well, no, you couldn't talk about Little Prairie, because after The Big One - the strongest earthquake ever to hit the lower 48 states - Little Prairie sank into quicksand.

Read p. 3: “Day One: A tremendous roar … world itself gone mad.”

This book uses first person accounts and scientific investigation to come up with a reason why the place least likely to have an earthquake did so in 1811 and continued to have aftershocks – as many as 80 a day - for months and years afterwards.

[KennyO · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first couple chapters nearly had me reconsidering my choosing this book but it improved quickly. A good deal of the book is specific to the region affected by the three great earthquakes of 1811-1812 and about as much more is “big picture” with regard to seismology.

I am pleased that the authors addressed the gullibility of the general public and the near-absence of due diligence in the popular press with regard to [what should be] scientific explanations and forecasts. Reporters do not often have a firm grasp of science or technology and their published misunderstandings are amplified by readers who are so often less well read than they.

I did find it annoying that the measures of selected earthquakes differed from one citation to another. e.g. The 1960 Chilean quake was first stated on p. 127 to be a 9.9, then on p. 172 a 9.5 and finally on p. 178 an 8.6. Nothing indicated or implied differing scales were used so I take it to be an editing error.

There’s something of a bibliography embedded in the endnotes. Most of what’s there is academic in character so we’re on our own to find more books, et al. written at the level of this one.

Their style is quite readable and the technical detail is held to an easily grasped level. Well worth the time to read if you’re interested in geology.

[Tom Runyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a certified geology geek, I absolutely loved this book. Not only did it cover a topic of special interest to me but it was very well written. In terms of seismic activity, California gets all the attention. In this book, however, the authors focus on the New Madrid area of Missouri where three of the largest quakes in the lower 48 occurred in recent (early 1800s) history. It is an engaging read that takes one through the messy world of earthquake prediction while reminding us that civilization exists at the whim of geology.

[Aspasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most American are familiar with the San Andreas fault and the infamous earthquakes that rock the West Coast every few decades but the New Madrid area of Missouri is unfamiliar to most. New Madrid lies on the bank of the muddy Mississippi River- not your usual suspect for earthquake activity.... This book takes the reader back to the morning of December 16, 1811. The residents of New Madrid were rudely awakened by the strange lights, geysers of gas, and the ferocious movement of the earth- an earthquake!


The ramifications of the New Madrid earthquake were huge: Congress passed the first disaster relief act in 1815 to aid the homeless residents who were still trying to rebuild their lives four years after the quake. The New Madrid earthquake also helped create the science of seismology. The authors blend historical facts and figures with an action-packed writing style that keeps the science from getting too bogged down with technicalities and jargon. They also cover the beginnings of geology in the US and how early geological research aided the creation of seismology.

[Marcy Graybill · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not a big book, but it took me forever to read it. It started out fairly interesting, then the authors got far too technical, it was less about history and more about statistics. I was very disappointed. I chose this book over When the Mississippi ran backwards because it seemed more about the earthquake and what happened (instead of the crime). Next time I'll read the reviews before I pick up the book.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by the science of natural disasters. Page and Officer do a great job exploring the big earthquake of 1811.