The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet

by Henry Fountain

New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice • A riveting narrative about the biggest earthquake in North American recorded history—the 1964 Alaska earthquake that demolished the city of Valdez and swept away the island village of Chenega—and the geologist who hunted for clues to explain how and why it took place.

At 5:36 p.m. on March 27, 1964, a magnitude 9.2. earthquake—the second most powerful in world history—struck the young state of Alaska. The violent shaking, followed by massive tsunamis, devastated the southern half of the state and killed more than 130 people. A day later, George Plafker, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, arrived to investigate. His fascinating scientific detective work in the months that followed helped confirm the then-controversial theory of plate tectonics.

In a compelling tale about the almost unimaginable brute force of nature, New York Times science journalist Henry Fountain combines history and science to bring the quake and its aftermath to life in vivid detail. With deep, on-the-ground reporting from Alaska, often in the company of George Plafker, Fountain shows how the earthquake left its mark on the land and its people—and on science.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Science, Audiobook, Geology, Nature, American History

296 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet by Henry Fountain is a wonderful history and science book that I enjoyed thoroughly. Two subjects I love and earthquakes are exciting and scary at the same time. It was interesting to find out about what life was like in Alaska before the quakes and after the big quake. Individual stories and an overall view of society prior, during, and after. A lot of wonderful information in a way that did not focus on a political point but on a personal view, even from the history of it. Very interesting.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was growing up in the early 1960s my grandfather was corresponding with Maurice Ewing and William Donn of the Lamont Geological Observatory. Gramps had been interested in their work since 1958 when he read a Harper's Magazine article by Betty Friedan called The Coming Ice Age about their research.

I didn't know that Project Moho, drilling cores in the deep sea, how to stop the next Ice Age, and Plate Tectonics was not normal dinner table talk. Gramps even got his old college buddy Roger Blough, then president of U. S. Steel, to kick in some funding for their research.

Before 1971 when I took Historical Geology in college I had no idea that Plate Tectonics was a 'new' theory. I'd grown up with it.

I requested The Great Quake:How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet by Henry Fountain from First to Read because I like geology and enjoy reading about Alaska. I was excited to learn it was about the very research that proved Plate Tectonics.

Fountain introduces us to the people of several small Alaskan villages along the coast, recounting their history and way of life. The families have Russian last names, a legacy when Russia turned the native population into virtual slaves. They live on a subsistence level, their traditional hunting and fishing impacted by factory fishing.

In 1964, on Good Friday, a 9.8 earthquake wrecked havoc and destroyed the villages, claiming the lives of 130 people. It is devastating to read about the tsunamis that wiped the land clean not only of people and houses but trees and the loose rocky layer on the shore.

Geologist George Plafker was very familiar with the area. The day after the quake he flew over the area. His observations led to proving the controversial theory of Plate Tectonics that even Maurice Ewing did not yet subscribe to!

The book reads like popular disaster books such as Dead Wake by Eric Larson, setting up the people and history, recreating the horror of the disaster, and then cogently explaining how Plafker's research impacted the scientific community. Readers can expect to learn Alaskan history and geography, be moved by the horror of the destruction, and brought to understand this planet we live on.

I received a free ebook through First to Read in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this cover, I knew I wanted to read more about the great quake in Alaska on March 27, 1964. The earthquake that I can remember seeing the images of houses lifted in the air while roads sunk several feet below right down the street.

The subtitle is How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding Of The Planet and this book certainly fulfilled that promise. I have always been fascinated by geology. My grandfather took us on rock digs from the time we could walk. So this made me want to understand exactly what is going on deep within the earth.

The book covers the main researcher of this 9.0 earthquake, George Plafker and the people that lived and died during this quake. It studies the makeup of the area, the demographic and the personalities of these brave Alaskans. I read this book slowly absorbing each detail and there are so many important details that are uncovered in this book. Henry Fountain brings the instant of the quake to life for the reader with eyewitness accounts, memories, and photos.

The geological makeup of this area is so well explained that after hearing the term plate tectonics for years, I finally actually understand how they work, what is going on, and how it affects us living on this active planet.

I found this book through Blogging for books and this is why I love reading hardbacks, I will keep this forever and read it many more times. This review is my honest opinion and I thank Blogging for Books and the Publishers for allowing me to have this copy for review.

Not stodgy and boring and not quite a textbook read at all, but a personal glimpse into the terror and the excitement of new discovery. The excitement of realizing that a little snail-like creature holds so many answers. This book is like being on a dig alongside one of the premier geologists.

If you like history and knowing how things really work, then pick this up and you will enjoy it as much as I did. I have had a reading hangover from it since I finished it a few days ago. I wanted to read another fact-filled and an exciting book like this to transition me back into fiction.

I have a niece that is a geologist and I am sending her this book. She will be as enthused about it as I am, I believe.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

More travelogue than science. I enjoyed the passages about Alaska and the people. The book is well written and interesting; but for me too much human interest stories, not enough about science.

3.5 Stars rounded down not quite enough about the scientific findings

Read on kindle

[happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first saw the author of this book on CSPAN's BookTV, (https://www.c-span.org/video/?432319-...) and thought it sounded interesting. Also, I can remember watching the news coverage of this on my family's black and white TV way back when.

In this narrative the author does not just cover what up to this point is the most powerful earth quake to happen in North America, 9.2 on the Richter Scale and second most powerful anywhere, but also how it affected the understanding and more importantly the acceptance of Plate Tectonics in explaining how, why and where earth quakes occur.

The author tells his story through the eyes of geologist George Plafker. He has spent much of the preceding couple of years doing geological research in the quake area and when the quake occurred was quickly sent by the US Geological Survey back to Alaska to see if there was any way to explain the causes and effects of the quake. The author takes the time to explain the various theories in the geological community to explain earthquakes. At the time Plate Tectonics, was a rather poorly accepted theory. In his assessment of the quake and causes, Mr. Plafker found much evidence to support Plate Tectonics and it has since become the accepted theory of continental movement and causes of earth quakes.

In addition to explaining the geological theories, the author does an excellent job of exploring just what happened on that Good Friday in the 1964. He does this by telling the reader just what happened in three different locals – Anchorage (the largest city in Alaska) the Port of Valdez (at the time a fishing Port on Prince William Sound, now the Terminus of the Alaska Pipeline) and a small fishing village of Chenenga at the end of one of the many fjords branching off Prince William Sound.

As he tells the stories of these three communities, the author looks at the damage both the quake did to then and maybe more importantly, what the tidal waves did. In looking at Chenenga he tells how the tidal waves generated by the quake literally wiped the community off the map. The waves scoured everything up to 70 ft above the water line. The Chenengans that survived the tidal wave did so in a one room school house located just about the reach of the water.

I telling the story of Valdez, the authors looks at how the quake destroyed the waterfront and the accompanying infrastructure. One of the stories he relates is how the locals were unloading a supply ship when the quake hit and what damage it did to the ship and the dock it was tied up to. The damage was so completed that when the water front was rebuilt in was a mile away from the previous spot on land donated by one of the residents of the city.

The Anchorage story is also well told. The ground shifted permanently as much as 10 feet and much of the wealthier areas of the city were destroyed.

All in all I found this both a very readable and fascinating look at the theories behind earth quakes and the power they can develop. This is a solid four star read for me.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the true story of “Alaska’s Good Friday Earthquake,” registered at 9.2 magnitude on the Richter scale, that took place on March 27, 1964. It also includes the history of continental drift and plate tectonics, as well as minibiographies of scientists such as Alfred Wegener, originator of the continental drift theory, and George Plafker, who arrived on the scene the day after the Alaskan quake.

The first half focuses on the scientific topics and the second on the earthquake itself. Once it gets to the earthquake, it provides a vivid, detailed, and riveting account of the people who survived and some who did not – what they were doing, what they felt, and what ultimately happened to them. This portion is based on interviews. The majority of the 130 deaths were caused by the massive waves that were generated, and traveled south into Washington, Oregon, and California. It obliterated two Alaskan towns.

This was the biggest earthquake in North America has experienced and the second largest in the world. The book should appeal to readers who are interested in earth science, geology, natural disasters, or those interested in this specific enormous quake.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ground itself was starting to break into strange, angular blocks, some rotating up and others down. It was as if swarms of organisms were inside the soil.

For approximately five minutes on March 27, 1964, Alaska shook. It was the largest recorded earthquake in North America, at a 9.2 on the Richter scale, second only to the "big one", a 9.5 in Chile in 1960.

Henry Fountain tells the geological and personal stories around this earthquake, and the tsunamis that lead to the most loss of life down the Pacific coast in Oregon and California. He reports, relying on the words of the people who lived it to weave the story. We hear from a number of people in the towns of Chenega and Valdez that were deeply effected, and the geologists who study this quake, evantually soldifying plate techtonics as a universally accepted geological phenomenon.

Since plate techtonics is now such a widely accepted theory, it was a surprise to me that it was only "proven" in 1964. This zone, part of the larger "Ring of Fire" that continues south, all the way to Chile, before looping around to encompass Polynesia and Japan, has long been known to be the most geologically active area for earthquakes and volcanoes. It was the surveying and observations after this quake, the way the mountains shattered, the coves and coastlines emptied of water, that the plate lines were drawn, showing this to be one of the "megathrust" earthquakes, like the one that occured in Japan in 2011 that lead to Fukushima.

So instead of straight disaster porn, there is a lot about the science behind this earthquake, and what lead to a better understanding of the geology in this region. That's good news... but it is also concerning since this same plate emcompasses the population dense areas of coastal BC, Washington, Oregon, and northern California (Another book about this - I haven't read yet, but will someday soon, see Cascadia's Fault: The Coming Earthquake and Tsunami That Could Devastate North America.

[A.L. Sowards · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a truly spooky reading experience, you don’t have to look for a horror novel or a dark suspense story. Just read (or listen to) an account of a large natural disaster that took place basically in your backyard.

As of this reading, I’ve lived in Alaska less than a year, but I was familiar with many of the locations affected by the massive Good Friday Earthquake of 1964. When the author described George Plafker’s experience of flying into Anchorage the day after the quake across cloud cover and seeing an abnormal hole in the clouds (created by a warm air updraft because the Whittier/Portage area was on fire), I could relate to the cloud cover, and my heart hurt a little for Whittier and Portage, because I love those areas. When the author described the quake hitting and destroying the J. C. Penny store in downtown Anchorage, I knew the location because I’ve shopped in the replacement store built in the same area. I haven’t been to Chenega (the quake destroyed it) or to Valdez (yet), but I’ve fallen in love with the Prince William Sound and driven on many of the highways mentioned throughout the account, giving this book a very personal, relevant feel for me.
One thing I hadn’t thought about until listening to this book was the implications the quake had on national defense. Alaska was an important location for the detection of Soviet threats, and the quake was only a year and a half after the Cuban Missile Crisis, so having the quake knock out military communications was a potential catastrophe.

Side note: I also got an answer to the question I’ve had many times since moving to Alaska—why does everyone pronounce “Valdez” as val-dEEz instead of the more Spanish pronunciation (it’s named, after all, for a Spanish explorer)? Turns out that’s a remnant of anti-Spanish sentiment during the Spanish-American war.

How big was the quake? It’s hard to flip through an audiobook to find the statistics, but it’s the largest earthquake to ever hit North America. At magnitude 8.2 on the Richter scale, it’s the second largest ever recorded, worldwide. The shaking was strong enough that people in the Space Needle in Seattle could feel the vibrations (Seattle is a 3-4 hour flight from Anchorage, just under 1500 miles). The tidal waves (or tsunamis) created by the quake were responsible for most of the deaths and a large portion of the destruction. The overall death toll was small compared to other large quakes, but in places like Chenega, it wiped out about a third of the town's inhabitants (and nearly all buildings except the schoolhouse), so the cost for those communities was devastatingly traumatic.

Interwoven with the history of Alaska and details of the Great Friday Quake are chapters about George Plafker, a geologist who had worked in Alaska prior to the quake and was sent up after the event to study the damage. His work was key in helping gain evidence for the emerging theory of plate tectonics.

I saw this book in a local museum gift shop and opted to find an audiobook version. I read it for the Alaska history, so I enjoyed those parts more than I enjoyed the geology-focused chapters, but other readers may have a different experience. Recommended for those with an interest in natural disasters, geology, or Alaskan history.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through a Good Reads "First Reads" Give-away. A very entertaining read, Fountain covers not just the earthquake that struck Alaska on March 27, 1964, but also explores the evolution of the theory of plate tectonics and the history of several of the communities (e.g., Anchorage, Valdez, and particularly the small village of Chenega) hardest hit by the devastating quake and/or the resulting tsunamis. The author is equally adept at capturing the terror and destruction of the disaster itself and explaining how scientists' understanding of the underlying causes of earthquakes evolved (and how the 1964 quake contributed to that understanding). I received an uncorrected proof and assume the print version will have pictures whereas the proof did not - I did find some photos that were taken of Anchorage after the quake and it further put the magnitude of this disaster in perspective, they are quite unnerving.

[Vconover · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was there - 15 years old at the time, sitting in our livingroom in Valdez when the shaking started. Henry Fountain has really captured what it was like to live through this earthquake and the days following. That part I knew. What I didn't know was the science behind the most terrifying experience of my life. Fountain has made the science readable and quite fascinating. I highly recommend this book.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a Friday evening in April of 1964 when the most powerful earthquake known struck the Prince William Sound coastal areas of Alaska. The shaking lasted an eternity but it was the tsunamis that struck afterwards that likely did most of the killing as many were swept out into the ocean, their bodies never to be found.

At the time, plate tectonics was barely a science. In fact, it was still a theory that was disputed by many geologists and earthquake specialists but in this instance, geologists were able to get into the area - even as remote as some parts were - and take immediate readings as well as conduct interviews.

Fountain, in turn, is able to provide that professional interpretation of the facts - and the eventually development of the plate tectonic theory that has revealed that the earth beneath our feet is not so solid - along with the personal touch and connections with the scientists and local people as they tried to overcome the tragedy and rebuild their towns and lives.

Not necessarily for the expert in the area but certainly for those interested in the science. I found it very readable and chapters seemed to flow quickly. It was also interesting to see how focused George Plafker was regarding getting the facts - which in his opinion supported the theory of tectonics - in front of other scientists.

Since that day, the Good Friday (as it came to be known) Alaskan quake is still the most powerful quake to happen in North American recorded history and is second only to the Valdivia, Chile quake of 1960.

2021-252

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book was way above my head in certain aspects, the writing was wonderful and the author had the power to make me stop and think and say "hey, I understand that now!" Equally divided between the actual earthquake's devastation, the science of geology/geophysics and one mans work to figure out exactly what happened. I was surprised at the ease of the reading. One of the most fascinating things I learned was about "The Barnacle Line". Who would of thought that miniscule sea creatures would help prove the theory (and it was only a theory in 1967) of plate tectonics.

I have always been interested in this specific quake as my aunt lived in Anchorage at the time. I remember the pictures of the devastation and the adult chatter that went on in our home for days. My aunt and her family came out of it physically with only scratches and bruises, but the emotional trauma stayed with her until her death many years later.

Only recommended for those who enjoy history or science.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine book, well-written, with interesting characters and human drama. This might be a good present for teenaged aspiring scientists, but only if the scientist's parents don't mind you putting ideas into their heads about heading out to remote areas of the world which, even today, may not have a cell phone signal but may have terrifying earthquakes at any moment. And bears.

But I also felt that the book was a bit of a tease, promising a conflict that it didn't deliver. Specifically, I felt led to believe that the author would tell us the real-life story of a plucky scientific outsider (George Plafker) who took on a hide-bound establishment to champion a theory (continental drift) which is accepted as truth today but was previously viewed as incorrect, perhaps even ludicrously silly. That's not what happens. By the time Plafker comes along, he's pushing on an open door. Although there were still “stabilists” in the irony towers of science prior to the Alaska earthquake, Plafker's work of a lifetime (which seems considerable and impressive) did not spark a revolutionary change of scientific framework as much as drive the long-awaited final coffin nails into the stabilist theory.

I have a lot of respect for non-fiction writers who write of events, like this one, that happen 50-60 years previously. At that particular distance in time, it is likely the last time that some witnesses will be around to be recorded and described, and to return to the place where the most dramatic events of their lives took place. Writers like this are preserving something genuinely precious about our experience. I hope that whatever notes and recordings were made for this book find their way into the corner of some university library.

I received uncorrected electronic galley copy of this book free of charge for review. Thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the free stuff.

[Literary Chic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than required earth science books in school, I have never read anything related to geology. I've never found earthquakes particularly fascinating so I'm not sure why I signed up for this book's Goodreads Giveaway. However, I was pleasantly surprised with a great book on the biggest earthquake in North America.

Mr. Fountain wrote in a narrative style. It was engaging and easily followed. I'm not a scientific thinker, so I appreciated that his technical writing was straightforward and easily followed.

My only dislike was the excessive supporting cast. For a book that wasn't even 250 pages, the author spent the first 100 pages introducing additional townspeople. It was a bit excessive in my opinion but still a great book.

Overall, a very good read and I'm sure it will be a successful publication. Thanks Goodreads and Crown Publishing!

[Courtney Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up to read because of my intense (and many times irrational) fear of earthquakes -- figuring this might help ease some of my terror by providing some scientific background and explanation of earthquakes. While it was a great read, and I was absolutely fascinated by everything I read, it did nothing to help quell my fear. If anything, I am more concerned for friends and family on the west coast than I was before I started reading the book.

My personal feelings and fears aside, the book was a great read. The author did a great job of providing science background stuff related to rocks/earthquakes/the acorn barnacle/tides/ocean floor/etc without getting too 'sciency'. Aka, I didn't need a degree is some kind of 'ology' to understand what he was writing. It was an astounding story of a HUGE earthquake that had devastating effects on Alaska as well additional west coast states. Many times I said out-loud "no way...that's real?!" and went on a quick research mission to learn more about the events discussed in the book. The stories of the survivors from the quake left me feeling completely engrossed in their stories and their experiences, and brought what happened in Indonesia in 2004 back to the forefront of my brain.

A book I truly couldn't put down, and one I would recommend to anyone that enjoyed non-fiction.

[Aarika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this book expecting it would be about a great earthquake, stories from real life witnesses, and interviews with scientific minds to study and explain a major earthquake in modern history. It’s got a New York Times Editors Choice, so it’s got to be good.

Wrong.

This book contains 1.5 chapters of earthquake stories from Alaska, and the rest meanders through the lives of various geologists and geophysicists. These stories weave a loose history of earthquake research, which, while interesting, don’t seem to follow a linear path to the conclusion.

Overall, the book is educational, but I really didn’t need to know how the mentor of a geologist who arrived at the location after the earthquake, died randomly in the Alaskan wilderness.

[Suzze Tiernan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Crown and Edelweiss for the advance copy. I was somewhat familiar with the 1964 Alaskan quake, as a friend lived through it, but it was interesting to hear more of the geology and geophysics behind it. Rather technical in parts, but worth the read.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating book about a devastating earthquake that struck Alaska in 1964. The study of this event confirmed the idea of plate tectonics and how land moves and shifts. While I got bored with the history of the plate tectonic theory, the history of Alaska and the effects of the quake were interesting to read about.

[Cherei · Rating 5 out of 5]

A high octane read! One that will have you rockin' and a rollin!

Must read for all interested in earthquakes and geology! I was expecting to read about several eye-witness accounts of the great Alaskan earthquake on Good Friday, 1964. Much to my delight and surprise, the book is chockful of scientific theories and eventual acceptance of those theories. I learned so much! Chenega had a population of around 100 folks. Thank goodness, they did not have more. To have the ground shake in the manner that it did.. for a full five minutes. Holy mackerelly! Second largest quake in modern times.

Still! It tells the human side of the story as well. The story of the one room school teacher to those on a ship.. docked and unloading.. Most of the stories are from those that lived in the little village of Chenega. Many other stories are told as well.. Those that lived in Anchorage.. to the many coastal areas all over the world that were hit with tsunami waves brought about by the Great Quake.

This story was a must read for me. My Uncle, Aunt and cousins lived in Anchorage when the Great Quake hit. As they were young.. and going from one Adrenalin rush to another that day.. I just wanted to read other's accounts to find out if the events were as they remembered it. Now, I see.. how much they were shielded from learning by the elders. My cousins were little fellows at the time. They were lucky to not have been as deeply impacted mentally and physically as so many others were during the quake and multiple tsunamis that hit that day, in March of 1964.

[Marjolein (UrlPhantomhive) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

When I was eleven years old, the big Sumatra earthquake and following tsunami on Boxing day shook the world with its devastating power. However, it also shook my interest into geology and tectonics. So when I came across The Great Quake: How the Biggest Earthquake in North America Changed Our Understanding of the Planet I was immediately curious.

I have to admit that I was completely unaware of this earthquake, although its significance became clear very quickly, with the new techniques that had been developed recently even if the human and material loss was relatively low due to it happening in a scarcely populated area.

Henry Fountain gives a rather complete overview of the different aspects surrounding the 'great quake', looking at it from many different points of view. However, I thought rather a lot of the book was filled with human interest stories which somehow made it feel a little overdramatic. It also took a long time to get to the actual quake and its aftermath. However, I thought it was an interesting book and I would definitely recommend it to those interested in earth quakes and geology.

Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing me with a free book in exchange for an honest review!

[David Schwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has lots of first hand stories about the 1964 Alaskan earthquake. The best part of the book is the story of the George Plafker a field geologist with the USGS who is assigned to be part of a survey crew immediately after the earthquake. His background as a field geologist (not a theorist) helped him understand what happened and his evidence and ideas led to our current understanding of plate tectonics.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book was almost entirely about the lives of a few select people who were present during the quake. These stories were bland and did not fit in with the remainder of the book content, which focused more on how the earthquake changed scientific understanding of earthquakes and plate tectonics. I would have preferred a shorter book that cut out the backstories and focused more exclusively on the quake itself and the subsequent scientific inquiries.

[Jordan Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up almost right on top of the New Madrid Fault, earthquakes were always a fear tucked into the back of peoples' minds. Even though the fault is overdue for a massive quake, fears like tornados and flooding were always more imminent problems. Now that I've read The Great Quake, part of me wants to immediately start creating an emergency plan for that next big earthquake. The other part of me wants to hide my head in the sand and pray that that quake doesn't happen while I'm around, because if it's anything as devastating as the Good Friday earthquake in Alaska, I'm done for.

I am a big fan of nonfiction books written as narrative nonfiction. Books written this way read almost like fiction, except it's true. Facts and theories and data are presented in such a way that you never feel like you're getting a bunch of boring information dumped on you, and there's a flow to the narrative that isn't found in a lot of nonfiction. Erik Larson is a master of this form of writing, and in fact, The Great Quake reminds me a lot of Larson's Isaac's Storm, both in its execution and in its ability to introduce me to life- and world-changing natural disasters that I'd never heard about.

The Great Quake focuses on the Good Friday earthquake that struck south-central Alaska on, as its name would suggest, Good Friday in 1964. It remains to this day the most powerful earthquake to hit North America and the second most powerful earthquake ever, reaching a 9.2 on the Richter scale and lasting a little more than four and a half minutes. But the story doesn't start with the earthquake; it actually starts in the days immediately after, when geologists such as George Plafker were called in to survey the damage, giving us an immediate feel of the massive scale of the earthquake and the damage it caused. There's immediately a sense of dread and loss and sorrow that glues you to the page and forces you to keep reading. How could something like this happen? How did no one see this quake coming? Why was the destruction and the loss of life so different between the towns? And what are the chances of this happening again?

Like Larson, Henry Fountain begins the first chapter with a jump back to before the quake and introduces us to the towns and the people directly affected by the disaster. A teacher, fishermen, children, native Alaskans--Fountain includes stories of a variety of people and towns to connect us with the story and make us care about the outcome of the quake. It's one thing to consider the death and destruction from a scholarly standpoint, but it's something else all together to read the stories of the people who managed to survive only to lose everything. I loved getting the history of towns such as Chenega and Valdez and learning about how the unique geography and the entire nature of Alaska contributed to the development of these places and others just like them.

There's also a lot of background regarding the study of geology and how that has changed over the years thanks in part to people like George Plafker who put their boots on the ground to get a firsthand look at the earth and how it changed over the millennia. The data collected by geologists from the Good Friday earthquake as well as other major quakes have greatly contributed to humanity's knowledge of earthquakes, and although there's still a lot to learn, we now have a better grasp on what causes earthquakes and where they're most likely to occur. In the whole book, the section on plate tectonics and continental drift and general geology was the only part that felt a bit dry, but the theories and data are really necessary for understanding the Alaska earthquake as well as all the tsunamis it spawned. And frankly, even this somewhat-boring section is more interesting than a lot of other nonfiction books I've read, so I wasn't too annoyed with it.

Overall, The Great Quake is a fascinating and tragic read. There's a lot of science, but it's interspersed with stories of people and places who were forever changed by the Good Friday earthquake, and it all fits together to create a complex and interesting story. Fountain does a fantastic job of showing both the humanity of the situation and the scientific revelations that the earthquake imparted. The Great Quake will break your heart, but it will also teach you a lot; I recommend this book to any lover of non-fiction as well as to anyone looking for a fascinating story of courage and determination in the aftermath of terrible tragedy.

Thanks to Penguin's First to Read for the advance copy of this book.

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review in progress

Review written: August 2-8, 2017
Star Rating: ★★★★½
Heat Rating: N/A

An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Penguin's First to Read (a lottery) for an honest review.

The Great Quake is an interesting, informative, accessible, and utterly fascinating book. Part history, part science, and part personalities, it examines a formative moment in the U.S.; in geology, geophysics, and seismology; and the amazing event that changed our understanding of the earth forever.

Fountain deftly takes his readers through a crash course in Alaskan history and then through a quick course on geophysics and the eventual rise of plate tectonics. He details other events (Lityua Bay) that lead into the Good Friday Earthquake. It's a seminal moment and the focus of this book and therefore the descriptions are the bulk of the book.

The earthquake itself is the second largest recorded earthquake in the world, following only an earthquake just off the coast of Chile a few years prior. What it does to Alaska and what it does to the world in the form of tsunamis, changes in water tables, and other effects is truly breathtaking. The sheer number of players in the drama is also breathtaking and my biggest issue. I simply could not keep everyone straight; there were simply too many people. Descriptions and accounts of the earthquake are shocking and detailed and, in some cases, if they were in a fiction book would be discounted. Truth can be stranger than fiction.

While the account of the earthquake is interesting, the strength of The Great Quake is in the tidbits and trivia, the little nuggets of science and history and events that litter it like dropstones. For example, roughly one out of every sixteen earthquakes in the world happens in Alaska. Who knew?! Or this one: plate tectonics only came into our understanding in the 1970s and 1980s. Yet, when I learned it in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was treated as if we had known it since we'd known of gravity.

It is a very new understanding of the earth and in a discipline that is equally as new. This is literally the story of the birth of an entire science discipline, an event that gave rise to a far greater understanding of the earth and how it works, and for many people it happened in their lifetime. It's simply amazing how new all of this is.

Plus, terms like liquefaction are ones that I've read before. Christchurch, New Zealand has experienced it as a result of earthquakes. And now, things I have read about or heard of make so much more sense. The sheer volume of information in this book is amazing and I could probably read this 20 times and still learn something new each time.

I can't recommend this book enough. It's accessibility to the non-scientist and it's focus on the events and players rather than complex scientific research make it a fascinating read. And still, scientific theories are explained in easy to understand language.

This review is ©August 2017 by Monique N. and has been posted to First to Read.

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed non fiction books about earthquakes, volcanoes, and other various types of natural disasters.
I remember reading about the Alaska earthquake but this book gives more detailed insight into effects on people, science and the earthquake itself. It is well written but not too technical. I really highly recommend this one.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for my honest review.

[Betsy Gant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea this happened in North American history-- and it's so recent! The stories of destruction and loss of human life are tragic. Hopefully seismologists, geophysicists and geologists can continue to learn from this event and populations can be warned to take preemptive action before another quake and tsunami occur.

[Corinne Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would not recommend this if you aren't an earthquake nerd. But since I hang out with a very large number of earthquake nerds I found it interesting

[Elizabeth Moreau Nicolai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. Educational and emotional, a good mix of science and place setting, history personal and large. At one point I was literally crying during the description of the quake. I have lived in Alaska for 10 years and really appreciated this view of a part of the history I missed but have heard described so many times. Plus I didn't realize how much I didn't know about geology.
Highly recommended!

[Jamey Bradbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry Fountain's recounting of the 1964 Good Friday earthquake and the resulting tsunami that struck Alaska (and affected coastal communities as far away as Japan) is a perfect melding of science, fact, and narrative. This nonfiction book reads almost like a novel and weaves in firsthand accounts of what it was like to be in communities like Chenega, which was essentially destroyed, on the day of the quake. After the smaller November 30 quake that took place late last year, The Great Quake answered a lot of my questions about how earthquakes work and how the 1964 quake led to breakthroughs in geology.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book of the year so far. The science was fascinating, well written and fast paced.