Tracy

by Gary McKay

Book by McKay, Gary

Genres: Nonfiction, Australia, History

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

Reviews

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, being Australian I had heard of Cyclone Tracy and the destruction on Christmas Day in 1974, but time and separation had blunted the full impact for me. I have never read any of the particulars, and this book more than covered that for me. Inside, we have direct survivor stories and quotes, which painted a realistic picture of exactly what happened that day. I found myself hoping for people and animals knowing full well their story might not have a happy ending. This book was a wild, emotional ride.

Highly recommended survival book. Extremely well written and emotive, a full five stars.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

For when it was published (2005) I feel like it was well written and researched. I think over time if another Tracey book were to be written it would be modernised and the structure and layout could be written neater. Such as the very long paragraphs and the over use of Army proceeders it made me feel like the main audience was defence. However I understand a lot more now and how much Darwin was a defence force community. It really put in perspective the absolute devastation that the town went through and I even cried a few times. My mum went through cyclone Tracey and doesn’t really enlighten me with the ordeal in detail, and the rest of my family that lived to tell the tail don’t live in Darwin. I never really understood how terrifying it was. I think every Terrtorian should read this book because it puts into perspective the Territory today 2019, as horrible as it was I’m really glad I read this book.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this book after I saw the cyclone Tracy exhibit in Darwin. tHis book provides a chance for people to understand what happened during Cyclone Tracy and how people were able to survive. this is a really good book with survivors stories and information about TRacy and how Darwin changed after the cyclone. I would read this book again.

[Nicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read - so so interesting and terrifying at the same time. Started reading this when I visited Darwin for the first time in January.

[Sanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember Cyclone Tracy. I didn't live in Australia then, but it was THE most devastating tropical cyclone to ever hit Australia.

Gary McKay has done a great job in putting this book together with historical facts and photos, and telling the stories of so many victims who lived in Darwin back in the 1970's.

TC Tracy fooled the mets and everyone else, when it twisted and turned then unleashed its full force on the town of Darwin. People today who lived through the horror of the TC, will all say the same thing, that the thing they will never forget, was the noise. I live in Australia and have only been through one TC...and that was a rather diminished one at that, and although it was nasty and left so much damage in its wake, I cannot even begin to imagine what the residents of the town of Darwin went through.
Many ships and water craft, were sunk in the harbour, and the aircraft which were not able to be hangared inside the buildings, were blown from one end of the runway, to be smashed against the fences at the far end.
Even before TC Tracy left the area and eventually petered out over land, the people of Darwin just picked up, and started to recover what they could, and begin to clean up the horrendous mess left behind. Most houses hit, that still had the odd wall left standing, still had to be demolished and the people just had to start all over again.

Many people left for other parts of Australia to live, and never returned, but those who chose to stay helped to rebuild Darwin into the city it is today. I remember many countries including America, the UK and little old New Zealand, sending aid of all sorts including engineers to help with the rebuild.

Today, there are many sculpture made from the metals warped and twisted by TC Tracy, in various parts of Darwin, placed as a reminder to all those who lived and worked there, and as memorials to all those who lost their lives in that most fierce of cyclones.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't previously heard of the Tracy Cyclone that hit Darwin AU until reading this book. It was very interesting to hear the similarities in problems they had after the cyclone and the aftermath of the earthquake in Anchorage AK in 1964. Maybe that is why the two cities are Sister Cities? The beginning of the book was a bit overwhelming with data. But once the narrative got in to the stories of the residents of Darwin, the story was more accessible and I found myself cheering for individuals.

[Daniel Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't able to read Gary McKay's Tracy when it was first published and it took until 5 decades after the event before I could finally revisit the topic and read about other survivors' accounts. This was a gripping read and the author structured the chapters in a logical sequence that was easy to follow.

I paid particular attention to the recollections of near misses and there are many examples covered in this and other books about Cyclone Tracy. It is a miracle that the death toll was not much much higher.

This books is worth your time if you experienced that disaster or just learning about it.

[Peter Metcalfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a window into Darwin and Cyclone Tracey with a view that i was unaware of . It dispels a number of myths and fills the book with personal experiences some of which can't be spoken of by the people due to the effect that this event had on them . Good reading for anyone interested in Australian History.