Storm: Stories of Survival from Land and Sea

by Clint Willis (Editor), Jack London (Contributor), Sebastian Junger

Most people associate storms and other big weather with death—with the kind of force that makes each of us wonder about life, and time and the nature of our surroundings. Some people go out looking for bad weather or go to places where they're likely to encounter it. Others have the misfortune of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, the stories in Storm have more to say than that. They tell us about what happens when people find that treacherous weather—or when it finds them—and we are reminded of the fragility of life, the capriciousness of Nature's will, and how little we can do when both cross paths.

"The stories are vivid and lively..."—Los Angeles Times

Author Bio: Adrenaline Series editor Clint Willis has been a climber and an armchair mountaineer since he was ten years old. His writing about technology, finance and the outdoors has appeared in more than 100 publications, including Men's Journal, Outside, Rock & Ice and The New York Times, and he is a contributing editor of Forbes ASAP and Worth magazines. He lives with his wife and two sons in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.




RUNNING TIME ⇒ 6hrs. and 27mins.

Public Domain (P)2020 Listen & Live Audio

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, History, Survival, Anthologies, Short Stories, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published November 15, 2000

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ordinarily, I love "man against the elements" stories, but it may be that there's a point of diminishing returns when you read too many at one time. I found that my enjoyment of this book decreased the more I got into it because the segments had a certain repetitive nature. I liked the article that developed into the book, "The Perfect Storm" (even though I had already read the book itself). But it was the first story in the collection. I also enjoyed the account of the disastrous Everest climb that Jon Krakauer turned into "Into Thin Air" (this account was by an actual leader on the climb). But how many times can you read about the power of hurricanes, or the fighting the bitterness of snowstorms? The later entries may have been just as good as the earlier ones if read independently, but who could tell?

Note: Rick Bass' story, in the middle of the collection stood out precisely because it was unlike any of the others the book contained.

My recommendation would be to read this book piecemeal over a period of time, not all at once. Enjoyment would likely be higher.

[Emerson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories were amazing - others made me fall asleep. Still worth the listen.

[Marsha Rafalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 rounded to 4.0)

Clint Willis has written another chronicle of stories about how people are affected by Nature’s violent aspects. In this book, he has focused on stories of survival involving the extreme weather. He mentions Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition, Galveston’s 1919 Hurricane among others,. The tragedies are examined events and conditions before, during and after the specific crisis. The lessons learned in the aftermath are analyzed for changes that can save lives. Willis selects subjects that lend themselves to nonfiction history. I prefer narrative nonfiction in which the victims take a first person role. I personally prefer narrative nonfiction which blends the history of the event with the personal.

Recommend to readers of nature, nonfiction history, survival and short stories/Anthologies.

[Marty Greenwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like short stories; I don't like short stories. The stories of survival at sea were more compelling than the ones on land, except for the "freezing to death" story by Leo Tolstoy. By reading this short story, I can say I read one of the Russian greats. Very good, but it lacked the character building and plots of "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger or "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakeur.

[Eddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some stories were better than others. This could have gotten 5 stars but there were FEWER excellent articles/stories than lame ones - so the majority of the book was lame. But the good articles/stories are worthy. Don't read this but audiobook it to save yourself time.

[Josh Jeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this little gem while looking for Sebastian Junger’s latest book; he’s featured in it by way of his article “The Storm”, which was the skeleton of his novel “The Perfect Storm”. I couldn’t pass it up; true life is stranger than fiction, more terrifying, and certainly more vivid. I love reading about the human capacity for survival, even if the dire situations we find ourselves facing are of our own making.

[Cass Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was a good way to whet my appetite for the books within. I'll add a few of them to my 'want to read' list none not sure what I expected when starting the book after blindly downloading it from Goodreads recommendations but it's just excerpts from other books/stories which was enjoyable.

[Shandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty boring actually.

Nice sample set of some authors to explore further or not.

Listened on audio

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like most books of short stories, some are winners, some are not. They all met the theme well though.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK. Some of the stories I've run across before.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag - some stories had me on the edge of my seat, others not so much. I always think stories of survival somehow mean, well, everyone survives. Not so. Sorry if that's a spoiler.

[Beth Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

very interesting about famous storms

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were good but most were quite boring

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of short stories about the impact of storms. I really liked the first couple of stories but some of the later ones I didn't enjoy as much

[Chaz Frechette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book for the most part, scratched my itch for non-fiction stories of disaster and survival. It starts strong with the stories of the Andrea Gail and the most deadliest incident on Mt Everest and ends strong with an excerpt from Admiral Byrd’s book Alone from his time in the Arctic. The stories in the middle were not as well written or exciting, but I do appreciate the lessons learned.

[Matthew Sparling · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was about two of the accounts that were actually worth listening to. The remainder were either boring or seemingly incomplete. If one is bored, read it, otherwise skip it.