Deadliest Woman In The West

by Rod Beemer

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-12. A tornado ripped through St. Louis, Missouri, killing more people than Custer lost at the Little Big Horn. Mighty thunderstorms. Pounding hail. Ravaging floods. Lightning struck men dead and ignited roaring prairie fires.

Some of the planet's most intense weather events played out across the trans-Mississippi West's prairies and plains during this period of our nation's westward expansion.

The Deadliest Woman in the West: Mother Nature on the Prairies and Plains 1800–1900 is the story of encounters with Mother Nature upon this stage during the nineteenth century. Rod Beemer's detailed compilation of historic events provides interesting insight into the obstacles these pioneers faced while traversing and settling the nation.

 

392 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR ROD BEEMER is a writer, historian, and speaker whose published works include numerous books and magazine articles, many of which are about the settlement of the trans-Mississippi Prairies and Plains of the American West. Rod is a native Kansan who now lives in Minneapolis, Kansas, with his wife Dawn.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me the collection of material is interesting, but the narrative is often difficult to follow. At times the author uses a more scholarly writing style only to suddenly inject trite comments more suited to middle school readers. The book provides insight into catastrophic natural events during the period but don't expect it to be a smooth read. The more lucid sections of the book do make it worth while, especially the first chapter on the New Madrid Earthquake. This is a book that is in dire need of good editing.